Singles success pushes GCU past Mizzou in opener

Tuesday, January 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

3 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Missouri

Photo by: Wesley Kurz

1/9/2024 7:13:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Puehse completes Lopes' comeback at home with 1st win of 2024

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon women's tennis team opened the 2024 regular season with a 5-2 win over Missouri on Tuesday at GCU Tennis Facility.

The Lopes utilized their strength in singles, winning on five courts after dropping a close doubles point. GCU freshmen newcomers Valeriia Krokhotina and Iva Sepa picked up early victories and veterans Santa Strombacha, a senior, and Natasha Puehse, a graduate, clinched the team win at the top two singles courts.

It was the first Power 5 win for the Lopes since 1990 and the first win against a SEC team in program history.

"Coming out with one week of practice and playing a team like Missouri with their experience, this is a nice win," Lopes second-year head coach Katarina Adamovic said. "We had two freshmen in our lineup and Lailaa (Bashir), who hasn't played in a year and a half, this win is a testament of their work. I'm so excited for this year with this team. This is just the first step."

With a packed crowd at GCU Tennis Facility, the Lopes came out strong in doubles, winning the first match at Court 2. Sepa and Bashir, a fellow GCU newcomer, picked up a 6-2 win while the other two matches were close. Missouri answered with a 7-5 doubles win at Court 1 and pushed the match at No. 3 to a tiebreaker. Krokhotina and GCU junior Valentina Del Marco lost 8-6 to give the Tigers the doubles point for a 1-0 lead.

In singles, the Lopes saw contributions from players up and down the lineup that got them back in the match. Krokhotina and Sepa, in their first collegiate matches, picked up straight-set wins for the Lopes at Courts 4 and 5 to give GCU a 2-1 lead.

With the lead secured, Adamovic and the team turned to the veterans at the top of the lineup to secure the statement win. After Missouri responded with a Court 6 win to tighten GCU's match lead to 3-2, Strombacha wrapped up her match at Court 2 with a 6-1, 6-3 win. The GCU senior picked right up from setting the program's Division I-era record with 21 singles matches at Court 2 last season.

With just one more point needed, Puehse and Bashir were in third sets at Courts 1 and 3. Puehse cruised to a 6-1 win in the first set but faltered to a 7-5 loss in the second set. But as the Scottsdale native has done throughout her career, she regrouped and delivered a 6-3, third-set win that clinched the dual-match win at 4-1.

"As a coach, you never want the win to come down to just one or two matches because anything could happen," Adamovic said. "But when the match is on the line and Tash (Puehse) is the one to decide it, I have 110% confidence in her. She's just that player that has that 'it' factor. Both her and Santa being so consistent is what makes our team great."

With the team win secured, Bashir finished her match off with a 6-3, third-set win in her first GCU competition.

The season-opening win is just the first of a nine-match homestand to open the season. GCU will continue it Sunday against UC Davis at noon at GCU Tennis Facility.