CSU tennis closes nonconference play with 4th straight win

Graduate+student+Emily+Dush+extends+out+for+a+shot+in+a+singles+matchup+against+Creighton+University+at+the+Fort+Collins+Country+Club+March+19.+CSU+won+5-1.+

Collegian | Dylan Heinrich

Graduate student Emily Dush extends out for a shot in a singles matchup against Creighton University at the Fort Collins Country Club March 19. CSU won 5-1.

Mike Walsh

Dylan Heinrich, Staff Reporter

The Colorado State University women’s tennis team wrapped up their nonconference schedule with an impressive 5-1 victory against Creighton University on their home court.

Radka Buzkova (left) alongside partner Emily Dush (right) during their doubles match against Creighton University at the Fort Collins Country Club March 19. CSU won 5-1. (Collegian | Dylan Heinrich)

Colorado State started off strong by winning the doubles portion of the match. The duo of Radka Buzkova and Emily Dush got the job done quickly, winning their match 6-2.

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However, the team of Ky Ecton and Zara Lennon couldn’t find the same success, losing their portion 1-6 in a match that felt closer than the final score. It all came down to the team of Sarka Richterova and Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya to secure the doubles point for CSU. With all eyes locked on their court, the two pulled off the 6-2 win to give the Rams an early 1-0 lead.

Senior Zara Lennon after hitting a shot against Creighton University in her doubles match at the Fort Collins Country Club March 19. CSU won 5-1. (Collegian | Dylan Heinrich)
Junior Viktoryia Zhadzinskaya after a serve during her match against Creighton University at the Fort Collins Country Club March 19. CSU won 5-1. (Collegian | Dylan Heinrich)

Right off the heels of her doubles loss, Lennon was back on the court for her singles match. She rebounded quickly from the early loss, winning 6-4, 6-0 as the Rams scored their first singles point of the day. Lennon has been dominant as a singles performer, winning her last 11 matches.

The third point came from the No. 1 singles as Buzkova also won in straight sets. She started off the match with a 6-3 win in the first set and was able to muster out a 7-5 victory in the second set for a 3-0 CSU lead.

Buzkova’s doubles partner, Dush, had a more tumultuous path toward success. Dush dropped the first set 6-3 after looking a step behind. After some quick readjustments, she came back strong to win the second set by the same score. With all eyes turned to the final set, Dush looked for the fourth Ram point to secure a CSU win.

With both players competing in a doubles match, the final set was a battle of endurance. But the well-conditioned Dush stepped up with a 6-3 set victory to take the match 2-1 and give the Rams a point.

“Just had to take in one point at a time,” Dush said.

Graduate student Emily Dush leaps after a shot during warmups against Creighton University at the Fort Collins Country Club March 19. CSU won 5-1. (Collegian | Dylan Heinrich)

Dush wasn’t the only Ram who battled from behind, as Richterova lost her first set 7-5. However, she stayed strong, winning a tiebreaker to win the second set 7-6 and even things up.

With the match already won, the players went to a quick 10-point tiebreaker to declare the winner. Richterova carried that momentum with a 10-7 win to earn the Rams another point.

CSU dropped their first and only match as Zhadzinskaya fell short in the No. 6 singles matchup 6-4, 7-5. 

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The Rams wrapped things up as CSU’s No. 4 singles participant Sarah Weekley won her first set 7-5 in a shortened contest, but it didn’t count toward overall team scoring.

Colorado State now improves to 11-2 on the season, clocking in at No. 43 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. But even with the win this weekend, coach Mai-Ly Tran knows the team can play better.

“This is a very talented team,” Tran said. “But (it comes down to) believing in themselves.”

The Rams look to continue this success as Mountain West matches begin in Fresno, California, where CSU will take on California State University, Fresno March 24 and immediately turn around in a border war duel against the University of Wyoming March 25.

Reach Dylan Heinrich at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @dylanrheinrich.