WACO, Texas – Baylor women's tennis played its second doubleheader of the weekend at the Hurd Tennis Center on Sunday, defeating Grand Canyon, 4-3, in the morning before falling to No. 19-ranked Texas A&M, 4-0, in the afternoon. 
 
The Bears moved to 6-5 as they prepare for the start of conference play, while the Lopes fell to 9-2 and the Aggies rose to 7-5 on the year. 
 
Grand Canyon took the doubles point with a pair of 6-3 wins on court one and three. Court two remained unfinished despite Danielle Tuhten and Miska Kadleckova fighting back from a 4-1 deficit to take control, 5-4. 
 
Liubov Kostenko came flying out the gate to a 6-2, 6-0, win on court three, knotting the match at 1-1. Grand Canyon's Natasha Puehse and Santa Strombacha took their matches in quick succession on the top two courts, pushing the Lopes ahead, 3-1.
 
With Baylor down, Tuhten defeated Valeriia Krokhotina on court six, 6-3, 6-3, to shave the deficit to one. Isabella Harvison followed up with a 6-4, 6-2, win over Elizaveta Morozova to level the match at three-all, leaving it up to Zuzanna Kubacha on court five. Entering the final frame with a set apiece, Kubacha claimed the third set, 6-3, to clinch the match for the Bears as BU earned its fourth-straight win with the 4-3 decision. 
 
Doubles action took a similar route against Texas A&M, with the Aggies coming out with an early 1-0 lead in the match. 
 
In singles, No. 1-ranked Mary Stoiana quickly gave the Aggies a 2-0 advantage with a. straight-set win at the No. 1 position. A 6-2, 6-2, decision on court six pushed A&M to match point before another ranked win gave Texas A&M the 4-0 sweep. 
 
"I love the grit displayed by this team all weekend," Baylor head coach Joey Scrivano said. "Their commitment to competition and prioritizing the 'We Over Me' mentality is something special. We have a group that is embracing challenges and avoiding complacency. Today marked a significant stride in the right direction, and now we need to prepare well this week for the start of conference play."
 
The Bears return to action and open Big 12 play on the road this weekend at Cincinnati (March 1) and West Virginia (March 3). 
 
RESULTS VS. GRAND CANYON
Singles
No. 1 – Natasha Puehse def. Miska Kadleckova: 6-2, 6-1 
No. 2 – Santa Strombacha def. Sierra Berry: 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 – Liubov Kostenko def. Iva Sepa: 6-2, 6-0
No. 4 – Isabella Harvison def. Elizaveta Morozova: 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 – Zuzanna Kubacha def. Lailaa Bashir: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 – Danielle Tuhten def. Valeriia Krokhotina: 6-3, 6-3
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Natasha Puehse/Santa Strombacha def. Sierra Berry/Zuzanna Kubacha: 6-3
No. 2 – Danielle Tuhten/Miska Kadleckova vs. Valeriia Krokhotina/Valentina Del Marco: 5-4 (unfinished)
No. 3 – Iva Sepa/Elizaveta Morozova def. Isabella Harvison/Liubov Kostenko: 6-3
 
RESULTS VS. TEXAS A&M
Singles
No. 1 – #1 Mary Stoiana def. Sierra Berry: 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 – #19 Nicole Khirin def. Zuzanna Frankowska: 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 – Daniella Dimitrov vs. #29 Mia Kupres: 4-6, 2-3, unfinished
No. 4 – Lauren Littell vs. Lucciana Perez: 2-6, 5-6, unfinished
No. 5 – Brooke Thompson vs. Daria Smetannikov: 2-6, 1-5, unfinished
No. 6 – Jeanette Mireles def. Lindsay Patton: 6-2, 6-2
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #4 Mia Kupres/Mary Stoiana def. Brooke Thompson/Daniella Dimitrov: 6-2
No. 2 – Danielle Tuhten/Liubov Kostenko vs. Lucciana Perez/Jeanette Mireles: 3-4, unfinished
No. 3 – Sydney Fitch/Nicole Khirin def. Zuzanna Frankowska/Lauren Littell: 6-3

 - BaylorBears.com -