Thursday, April 27
Las Vegas, Nev.
11 AM MT
Air Force Academy
4
vs
3
Colorado State
No. 4 Women’s Tennis Advances to MW Semifinals With 4-3 Win Over No. 5 CSU
4/27/2023 5:16:00 PM | Women's Tennis
LAS VEGAS – After a crushing 4-3 loss to No. 66 Colorado State to close out the Mountain West regular season just five days prior, the No. 4 Air Force women's tennis team on Thursday found retribution in the form of a 4-3 elimination victory over fifth-seed CSU in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Mountain West Women's Tennis Championship.
In fitting fashion, with the match tied at 3-3, it was freshman Abby Cotuna on court five who clinched the win for Air Force (11-11), defeating CSU's Sarka Richterova 6-3 in the third set. In the Falcons' regular-season finale against the Rams on Apr. 22, the deciding point fell to a third set on Cotuna's court, but she ultimately fell, clinching the match for CSU.
To start, the Falcons earned their eleventh-straight doubles point off wins for Cotuna/Isabella Flodin and Courtney Swift/Arianna Van Houweling on courts two and three, respectively. Cotuna/Flodin's win marked their eighth-consecutive, improving the pair to 15-4 in dual competition.
After falling in doubles, CSU responded with a start to singles which earned the Rams a 3-1 lead after straight-set wins on lines two, four and one, threatening a clinch. Van Houweling got the score trending back in the right direction after defeating CSU's Vika Zhadzinskaya. 6-1, 7-5; Sophomore Alexis Odom went three sets on the third flight with Emily Dush, tying the affair at 3-3 after battling to a 6-4 finish in the deciding set – opening the door for a potential team victory with Cotuna's court to determine the Falcons' fate.
Head Coach Kim Gidley:
"I am just so darn proud of this team! Getting to watch them get to put their name up on the draw - what a special experience and so well deserved. In the doubles, Court and Ari started off with a dominating win at No. 3, redeeming a loss from last Saturday. Then it came to No. 2 doubles to clinch the point in the tiebreaker. We have had so many different doubles teams in this situation. They were down and did not panic.
"In the singles, it was a battle from the start. Ari came through with a huge straight set win, which helped set the tone for Lex to win in three sets. For the second time, it came down to our other freshmen, Abby, to clinch in the third set for the final match. Abby was here last week and has earned being in this position.
"Shoutout to the men's team, who was there and made a big difference. It was special having them and their support out there helping fuel our efforts."
Up Next:
Following an upset over top-seeded Wyoming, No. 8 San Jose State advances to face No. 4 Air Force in the semifinals, with first serve set for 12 p.m. MT on Friday at the Darling Tennis Center.
In fitting fashion, with the match tied at 3-3, it was freshman Abby Cotuna on court five who clinched the win for Air Force (11-11), defeating CSU's Sarka Richterova 6-3 in the third set. In the Falcons' regular-season finale against the Rams on Apr. 22, the deciding point fell to a third set on Cotuna's court, but she ultimately fell, clinching the match for CSU.
To start, the Falcons earned their eleventh-straight doubles point off wins for Cotuna/Isabella Flodin and Courtney Swift/Arianna Van Houweling on courts two and three, respectively. Cotuna/Flodin's win marked their eighth-consecutive, improving the pair to 15-4 in dual competition.
After falling in doubles, CSU responded with a start to singles which earned the Rams a 3-1 lead after straight-set wins on lines two, four and one, threatening a clinch. Van Houweling got the score trending back in the right direction after defeating CSU's Vika Zhadzinskaya. 6-1, 7-5; Sophomore Alexis Odom went three sets on the third flight with Emily Dush, tying the affair at 3-3 after battling to a 6-4 finish in the deciding set – opening the door for a potential team victory with Cotuna's court to determine the Falcons' fate.
Head Coach Kim Gidley:
"I am just so darn proud of this team! Getting to watch them get to put their name up on the draw - what a special experience and so well deserved. In the doubles, Court and Ari started off with a dominating win at No. 3, redeeming a loss from last Saturday. Then it came to No. 2 doubles to clinch the point in the tiebreaker. We have had so many different doubles teams in this situation. They were down and did not panic.
"In the singles, it was a battle from the start. Ari came through with a huge straight set win, which helped set the tone for Lex to win in three sets. For the second time, it came down to our other freshmen, Abby, to clinch in the third set for the final match. Abby was here last week and has earned being in this position.
"Shoutout to the men's team, who was there and made a big difference. It was special having them and their support out there helping fuel our efforts."
Up Next:
Following an upset over top-seeded Wyoming, No. 8 San Jose State advances to face No. 4 Air Force in the semifinals, with first serve set for 12 p.m. MT on Friday at the Darling Tennis Center.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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