No. 8 WT Headed to Big 12 Title Match After 4-0 Win Over ISU

Saturday, April 24

Waco, Texas

12 p.m.

Baylor

Iowa State

No. 8 WT Headed to Big 12 Title Match After 4-0 Win Over ISU

4/24/2021 4:45:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Bears cruise in semifinals, headed to championship for first time since 2015

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
                  Making it to the Big 12 Championship final for the first time since 2015, the second-seeded and eighth-ranked Baylor women's tennis team swept sixth-seeded Iowa State, 4-0, Saturday in Saturday's semifinals to set up a Sunday date with top-seeded and No. 2-ranked Texas.
            "This team has worked so hard to get to this point and have this type of season," said Baylor coach Joey Scrivano, whose team improved to 23-3. "It takes full support to have this type of season, so we're not taking that for granted. We understand that this is not easy to do. We're just excited that we have a chance to compete for a championship (Sunday). We're grateful for that."
            Going for ninth Big 12 tournament title in program history, the Bears are 6-2 versus Texas (24-1) in eight previous matchups in the final, the last one coming in 2011. The Longhorns were pushed by fourth-seeded Oklahoma, 4-2, in the other semifinal.
            "They're finally understanding that this is more them and overcoming themselves," Scrivano said. "They're developing a lot of mental toughness, mental discipline. And because of that, they're coming through in these really difficult, challenging situations. Tomorrow is going to be no different. Texas is going to throw a lot of different things at us. The more our team can get comfortable with the uncomfortable, then I like our chances."
            Baylor stayed comfortable in Saturday's matchup against the Cyclones (13-7), who upset 29^th-ranked and third-seeded Texas Tech in the quarterfinals.
            "Iowa State is having a dream season, and they had a lot of momentum," Scrivano said. "Obviously, for them to make the semifinals of this tournament, they're one of the best teams in the Big 12. For us to go out there and perform the way we did, it was just great. Just so proud of the girls."
            In doubles, Audrey Boch-Collins and Alicia Herrero Linana rolled to a 6-1 win over Maty Cancini and Ting-Pei Chang at No. 3, then 26^th-ranked Mel Krywoj and Angie Shakhraichuk clinched the opening point with a 6-4 win at No. 1 over the Cyclones' Thasaporn Nakio and Christin Hsieh.
            Iowa State did make it interesting, winning three of the six first sets in singles and taking three to third sets. But, it never got to that point, with the Bears winning in straight sets at Nos. 2, 5 and 6 to close it out.
            Senior Kristina Sorokolet got the next point on the board by dominating Sofia Cabezas, 6-2, 7-5, at No. 5. Playing every spot in the lineup in her four years at Baylor, "she's kind of seen it all," Scrivano said.
            "She's prepared, she's ready for this," Scrivano said of Sorokolet, who improved to 17-5 overall and 10-3 in dual matches. "She's really bought into just doing the work and just being real task-oriented. That's why she's having such a great year."
            After falling behind early in the first set, Herrero Linana came back to defeat Cancini, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 2, then Boch-Collins got the clincher with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Chang at No. 6. Hinojosa and Shakhraichuk both trailed in the third set No. 1 and 3, respectively, while Paula Baranano was up a break at No. 4 when the match was decided.
            A sparkling 9-2 in dual matches and 15-3 overall, Boch-Collins' "record speaks for itself," Scrivano said of the freshman.
            "It's not anybody's fault, it's just that only six players play, and we have incredible depth this year," Scrivano said. "It really had nothing to do with Audrey, it had more to do with super seniors that are just really experienced. Audrey, like Kristina, is doing a great job. When her number is called, she's going out there and just controlling what she can control."
            Baylor will face Texas in the final at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Hurd Tennis Center, with live streaming and live scoring available at big12sports.com. The Longhorns have handed the Bears their three losses this season, but Baylor dropped three three-setters in a 7-0 loss last month in Austin.
            "We went through so many things on this team with the girls that are still here," Sorokolet said. "I think now, all our hard work from the past three years finally pays off, and we're out there fighting and enjoying the moment."

WACO, Texas – The No. 8-ranked Baylor women's tennis team blanked No. 36-ranked and No. 6 seed Iowa State, 4-0, Saturday in the Big 12 Championship semifinals. The victory has Baylor (23-3) playing for its first Big 12 Tournament title since 2015.

The Bears will face No. 2-ranked and No. 1 seed Texas (24-1) for the fourth time this season in the championship match Sunday at 1 p.m. Baylor's only three losses this season have all come at the hands of the Longhorns, and the Bears will try to play spoiler and take home the championship crown.

Saturday, Baylor won doubles matches on court No. 3 and No. 1 consecutively to begin the match up 1-0. Kris Sorokolet and Alicia Herrero Linana picked up wins on the No. 5 and No. 2 courts, respectively, in straight sets to give the Bears a 3-0 lead. Then, freshman Audrey Boch-Collins' 15^th win of the season on the singles court was the match clincher on No. 6.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor returns to the Big 12 Championship title match for the first time since 2015. The Bears are eight-time winners of the event.
• Audrey Boch-Collins' win clinched the match and was her 15^th win of the season in singles.

THEY SAID IT
Head Coach Joey Scrivano on playing Iowa State again….
"It's a really competitive match any time we play them. We played them before COVID, earlier in the year and obviously today, and it's never easy. Tennis is just a hard sport. There's no easy matches ever."

On the key in singles play…
"Ultimately, our team just responded the right way to all of these different situations. In doubles, there was ebbs and flows and that's just the way it goes, it's not easy. Our team responded very well to Iowa State's challenge and that's why we're moving on."

Baylor senior Kristina Sorokolet on getting to the title match …
"After all these years we worked on this altogether. We went through so many things on this team with the girls that are all still here. I think now all our hard work from the past three years, finally pays out there and we're out there fighting and enjoying the moment."