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Oklahoma State Stuns Top Seed En Route to NCAA Title Match

Following a 4-3 upset of top-seeded California, the Oklahoma State women’s tennis team continued its run, as the Cowgirls advanced to the NCAA Championship match for the first time in school history. With the victory it marks the first time a Big 12 women’s tennis squad has reached the title match.

The Cowgirls are currently riding an 18-game win streak and handed the Golden Bears just their second loss on the season on Monday afternoon. Throughout NCAA competition OSU has yielded just five total points to their opponents.

Oklahoma State opened the match in dominant fashion on the doubles court as the team outscored Cal by a total of 12-2. Katarina Adamovic and Vladica Babic swept Lynn Chi and Maria Smith, 6-0, while Viktoriya Lushkova and Carla Tur Mari posted a 6-2 win over Klara Fabikova and Olivia Hauger.

Taking a 1-0 lead into the singles competition, the Cowgirls battled some adversity, as Cal took two straight matches at the fifth and sixth position to jump ahead 2-1.

Kelsey Laurente knotted the match at two for Oklahoma State with a 6-4, 6-3 straight set victory over No. 88 ranked Denise Starr at the fourth position. No. 47 ranked Adamovic pulled a straight set upset over the seventh ranked Maegan Manasse, 6-4, 6-2 at the top position, to give OSU a 3-2 lead.

Cal pulled even at three with a victory on the second court, but the Cowgirls prevailed as No. 66 Lushkova battled back after dropping the first set to take a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over No. 80 Chi, clinching the match.

Oklahoma State will meet the winner of Vanderbilt and Stanford for the NCAA title on Tuesday at Noon CT in Tulsa, Oklahoma.