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Feb. 17, 2010

TULSA, Okla.—No. 55 Oklahoma extends its win-streak to six, as the Sooners upset No. 32 Tulsa, 4-3, with a match-clinching win from Marie-Pier Huet for the second year in a row.

“Win or lose this match today, I could not be more pleased with this team,” OU head coach David Mullins said. “We were so tough on every court and we found ways to get out of some tough situations.”

Oklahoma (6-0, 0-0 Big 12) found itself tied with TU, 3-3, with one singles match remaining at the No. 2 spot.  Despite losing the first set, Huet clinched the upset for OU after defeating JoAnne Karaitiana in the tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. 

Huet found herself in familiar territory in the Sooners’ victory Wednesday.  Huet also clinched OU’s upset over then-ranked No. 32 Tulsa last season on March 4, 2009.

“This team just keeps getting better,” Mullins said. “I am so happy for the girls and I was thrilled that Marie-Pier (Huet) had the chance to clinch this win for us.”

The Sooners have now won six-straight matches, including four shutouts and two wins over top-40 opponents.  OU’s 6-0 start is the program’s best start since the 2003 season.

Oklahoma grabbed the early lead after winning the doubles point behind wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.  Ana-Maria Constantinescu and Teona Tsertsvadze, ranked No. 39 nationally in doubles, claimed the first doubles win for OU.  The Sooner duo defeated Karaitiana and Alexandra Kichoutkin of Tulsa, 8-4.

Tara Eckel and Maria Kalashnikova clinched the doubles point for the Sooners, defeating Ewa Szatkowska and Anastasia Erofeeva, 8-4.

In singles, the Sooners traded back-and-forth dual points with Tulsa to keep the match close.

Rebecca Row claimed TU’s first point of the match, defeating Tsertsvadze at the No. 4 spot, 6-3, 6-4, tying the dual score at 1-1.

Constantinescu, ranked No. 56 nationally, answered TU’s point quickly by edging out Kichoutkin at the No. 1 position in close straight-sets, 6-4, 7-5.  Constantinescu’s win gave OU the 2-1 lead. 

Tulsa’s Szatkowska then defeated Kalashnikova at the No. 3 spot to tie the dual again at 2-2, before OU took the lead again, 3-2, behind Eckel’s win at the No. 6 spot over Jie Zeng.

Kristina Radan fought back after losing the first set but eventually fell to TU’s Michelle Farley at the No. 5 spot, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.  Farley’s point for TU once again tied the dual match at 3-3, before Huet clinched the win for the Sooners by winning the final singles match.

The Sooners will get a ten-day break before heading to Fayetteville, Ark. to face Memphis on Feb. 27 and No. 17 Arkansas on Feb. 28.

No. 55 Oklahoma 4, No. 32 Tulsa 3 
Doubles
1. No. 39 Constantinescu/Tsertsvadze (OU) def. Karaitiana/Kichoutkin (TLS), 8-4
2. Eckel/Kalashnikova (OU) def. Erofeeva/Szatkowska (TLS), 8-4
3. Farley/Row (TLS) def. Connelly/Huet (OU), 9-8 (4)
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles
1. No. 56 Ana-Maria Constantinescu (OU) def. Alexandra Kichoutkin (TLS), 6-4, 7-5
2. Marie-Pier Huet (OU) def. JoAnne Karaitiana (TLS), 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
3. Ewa Szatkowska (TLS) def. Maria Kalashnikova (OU), 4-6, 6-0, 7-5
4. Rebecca Row (TLS) def. Teona Tsertsvadze (OU), 6-3, 6-4
5. Michelle Farley (TLS) def. Kristina Radan (OU), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
6. Tara Eckel (OU) def. Jie Zeng (TLS), 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 4, 1, 3, 6, 5, 2