April 3, 2002

MANHATTAN, Kan. - The No. 43 Kansas State tennis team lost its third Big 12 Conference match of the season today when it dropped a 4-3 match to No. 34 Kansas at Ahearn Field House. The Wildcats' are 8-6 overall and 3-3 in the Big 12 while Kansas improves to 12-3 overall and 6-0 in league play.

K-State trailed the Jayhawks 3-2 after KU won the doubles point by winning two of the three matches and Kansas State won two of the four singles matches. Needing victories at both the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions for the win, the Wildcats split, losing at No. 5 and winning at No. 6.

Sophomore Paulina Castillejos won her first set at No. 5, 6-4. She was then up 4-3 in the second before Aurelie Bejar won three of the next five games to force at tiebreaker at 6-6. Castillejos fought back from a 4-2 deficit in the tiebreaker to lead 5-4, but Bejar won the next three points and the third set, 6-3, for the match. Castillejos is now 4-7 this spring, 2-3 in the Big 12 and 7-11 overall.

Kansas State won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles in opposite ways. Senior Alena Jecminkova easily won her eighth match of the spring season, 6-2, 6-1. The victory improves her conference record to 4-2 and her overall record to 12-11.

Senior Kathy Chuda fought back from a one set deficit to beat Emily Haylock 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a two-plus hour match. Chuda, who won her fourth straight match, sports a 9-3 spring record, 4-2 Big 12 mark and 15-8 overall record.

Rookie Andrea Cooper snapped two streaks with her win at No. 6 singles. She broke a four-match losing streak and snapped Kim Lorenz's 11-match winning streak. Cooper beat Lorenz 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to improve to 5-5 this spring, 3-2 in the league and 6-9 overall.

Kansas State's Petra Sedlmajerova lost 6-3, 6-4 to Courtney Steinbock at No. 3 singles and freshman Maria Rosenberg was beaten 6-4, 6-4 at No. 5 singles by Paige Brown.

In doubles, Jecminkova and Cooper beat Kansas' twin-tandem of sisters Courtney and Kristen Steinbock, 8-4. The loss snapped a six-match winning streak for the Jayhawks.

At No. 2 doubles, Chuda and Sedlmajerova lost their third straight, 8-4 and at No. 3 doubles, Rosenberg and Castillejos lost, 8-6.

Kansas State continues its homestand with a noon match at the Washburn Tennis Facility or Ahearn Field House against Iowa State on Saturday,.

(34) Kansas vs. (43) Kansas State
April 3, 2002 - Manhattan, Kan. - Ahearn Field House
Team Score - Kansas 4, Kansas State 3
KSU Team Record: 8-6, 3-3 KU Team Record: 12-3, 6-0

Singles
1. Alena Jecminkova, KS def. Cheryl Mallaiah, KU - 6-2, 6-1
2. Kathy Chuda, KS def. Emily Haylock, KU - 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
3. Courtney Steinbock, KU def. Petra Sedlmajerova, KS - 6-3, 6-4
4. Paige Brown, KU def. Maria Rosenberg, KS - 6-4, 6-4
5. Aurelie Bejar, KU def. Paulina Castillejos, KS - 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3
6. Andrea Cooper, KS def. Kim Lorenz, KU - 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Doubles
1. Jecminkova/Cooper, KS def. Kristin Steinbock/Steinbock, KU - 8-4
2. Brown/Haylock, KU def. Sedlmajerova/Chuda, KS - 8-4
3. Bejar/Mallaiah, KU def. Rosenberg/Castillejos, KS - 8-6