Tennis' Historic Season Ends in NCAA Tournament

OXFORD, Miss. – The historic season for Syracuse University's women's tennis team has come to an end in the NCAA Tournament. The Orange earned their second bid in program history but came up short in a 4-1 loss to No. 35 Wichita State on Friday afternoon. 'Cuse finishes the season 17-8 after doubling its victories from a season ago.

Wichita State jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after tallying the doubles point with victories at first and third singles. The first doubles duo of Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez battled to take a narrow 4-3 lead but could not hold on, falling 6-4 to finish out the doubles point.

In singles play, No. 124 Sandra Honigova beat Sofya Golubovskaya 6-2 in the first set at the third spot. Honigova gave the Shockers a 2-0 lead when she blanked Golubovskaya in the second set, 6-0.

At the second singles spot, Ramirez dropped the first set 6-2 to Giulia Guidetti. The second set was much the same as Guidetti earned a 6-2 win over Ramirez to put Wichita State ahead 3-0 and one point away from clinching the match.

Fifth-ranked Gabriela Knutson fell behind 3-0 at the top singles spot to No. 72 Fatima Bizhukova in the first set. After winning the first set, 6-1, Bizhukova pushed on to lead 2-1 early in the second set.

Knutson was not going down without a fight and won back-to-back points to trail 4-3 in the second set. Simultaneously Dina Hegab led Marta Bellucco 6-1, 5-1, at the fifth singles spot.

Hegab earned a 6-1 set two win to give the Orange their first point of the match but moments later Bizhukova clinched the Shockers' win defeating Knutson, 6-3, in the second set.

Syracuse's season ends in the NCAA Tournament first round while Wichita State advances to play the winner of Mississippi/Missouri State on Saturday in the second round.

The Orange finish the season 17-8 overall and put together one of the most impressive seasons in program history. After beginning the season unranked, the Orange earned an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) ranking as high as No. 25 marking the second time in program history that 'Cuse cracked the Oracle/ITA Top-25 Poll.

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