GCU shuts out Arkansas in statement win

Friday, February 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

2 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Arkansas

2/9/2024 4:45:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

Lopes pick up 2nd win vs. SEC team this season at home

By: Jerob Moon

The Grand Canyon women's tennis team continued its hot start to the season with a 4-0 shutout of Arkansas at home Friday.

Rain postponed the match from Thursday, but the delay did not hurt the Lopes (5-1). They picked up their second win against an SEC opponent this season while GCU graduate Natasha Puehse defeated a ranked opponent in singles for the first time.

The Lopes jumped to an early lead by clinching a doubles point that came down to the final court. GCU held the early advantage with a 6-2 win by junior Valentina Del Marco and freshman Valeriia Krokhotina. The Razorbacks answered back with a 6-3 win at the top court to level the contest with one court still playing.

At the third doubles court, GCU freshmen Iva Sepa and Elizaveta Morozova battled back from a 4-3 deficit to lead 5-4 and then 6-5 late in the set. In the 12th game, the GCU duo broke Arkansas' serve and clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 victory to vault the Lopes into the lead.

In singles, the Lopes pressed their advantage at both ends of the lineup. After the thrilling doubles win, Morozova won her first set 6-2 at singles court No. 6. Meanwhile, at the top of the lineup, Puehse and senior Santa Strombacha each won 6-3 first sets. Morozova was the first match to finish with her cruising to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Arkansas' Grace O'Donnell.

Morozova has impressed so far this season with a 3-1 record in singles. The Kazan, Russia, native joined the Lopes at the start of the spring semester as a late signing but has moved into the starting lineup and found success right out of the gate.

With the Lopes leading 2-0, it was up to the top of the singles lineup to carry the team to victory. Strombacha led 3-2 before winning three straight games to clinch the singles win. That put GCU up 3-0 with her doubles partner Puehse in control at the No. 1 court.

Puehse was matched against Caroli Gomez Alonso, ranked No. 79 nationally, and won her first set 6-3. In the second set, Puehse held a 3-2 lead that quickly grew to a 5-2 advantage. The GCU graduate from Scottsdale, Arizona, won the next game to clinch the team win and was mobbed by her teammates on the No. 1 court.

For Puehse, it was her first career win against a ranked opponent, and she improved to 5-0 on the season. Puehse also sits at 53 career singles wins, one away from tying the GCU D ivision I-era career record.

The Lopes will be back in action on Sunday in a doubleheader against Idaho at 11 a.m. and UC Riverside at 3 p.m. at GCU Tennis Facility.