In a Texas showdown, the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks were too much for the University of Colorado Buffs.
At the University of Houston on Sunday, the Colorado tennis team dropped a non-conference match 6-1 to the Lumberjacks. It was the first-ever matchup for the two teams.
The CU women's tennis team lost to Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on Sunday dropping the Buffs to 2-2 this season. (CU Independent Illustration/Adam Milner)
Colorado fell behind immediately, dropping all three doubles points to start the match. The Lumberjacks then took the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions in straight sets, widening their lead to 3-0. A Stephen F. Austin win at the No. 1 singles position was next, clinching the Lumberjacks’ overall victory.
The only CU point came from sophomore Winde Janssens at the No. 2 singles position. Janssens defeated Stephen F. Austin’s Jithmie Jayawickrema, 6-2, 6-2. It was her second singles win of the weekend. She also defeated the University of Houston’s Celia Fraser on Saturday.
Buffs head coach Nicole Kenneally told the CU Sports Information Department that she saw a lot of effort from her team against a tough opponent.
“[SFA] will definitely be in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year,” Kenneally said. “We played with a lot of fight and hustle in a lot of positions and will continue to work on bringing this to every match.”
With the loss, CU’s record falls to 2-2 overall, while SFA improves to 4-2 on the season.
The Buffs do not leave Texas winless. They defeated the University of Houston Cougars 4-3 on Saturday afternoon.
CU tennis competes next on Feb. 11, taking on Colorado State at the Meadows Club in Boulder.
Contact CU Independent Sports Editor Caryn Maconi at Caryn.maconi@colorado.edu.
