NORMAN -- The No. 22 BYU women's tennis team (10-4) got off to a rocky start in doubles but played wonderful singles on their way to 5-2 comeback victory over the Oklahoma Sooners (4-5) on Friday.
"We have great doubles players, but we just didn't play great doubles today," Coach Craig Manning said. "We did play excellent singles, though, and we got the win."
Having only lost the doubles point in three matches this season, the Cougars have little experience playing from behind early on in a match. But struggles in doubles force BYU into that position against the Sooners. Oklahoma's Christi Baxley and Irina Lykina beat BYU's Chang-Holden duo, while Gabi Baker and Chelsea Orr beat the Cougars' No. 1 doubles team to seal the point.
The Cougars responded to the challenge, coming out for singles competition and looking like a completely different team. The girls in blue stormed through their singles matches, winning five-of six, all in straight sets. Oklahoma's Chelsea Orr was the only one who could stop the Cougar momentum, beating BYU's Dolly Chang in three sets. The match was a close-fought battle, as all three sets went to tiebreakers. The match had little affect the outcome, and BYU cruised to its third-straight victory.
BYU comes home quickly for a match with New Mexico State on Monday March 13. The mach begins at 11 a.m. and will be played at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.
BYU 5 Oklahoma 2
Doubles
1. Baker/Orr (OU) def. Sourkova/Miccoli (BYU) 8-5
2. Baxley/Lykina (OU) def. Chang/Holden (BYU) 8-4
3. Boulytcheva/Jones (BYU) def. Purice/Carter (OU) 8-2
Singles
1. Boulytcheva (BYU) def. Baker (OU) 6-1, 6-3
2. Jones (BYU) def. Lykina (OU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Sourkova (BYU) def. Purice (OU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Holden (BYU) def. Baxley (OU) 6-2, 6-2
5. Orr (OU) def. Chang (BYU) 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6). 1-0 (10-4)
6. Miccoli (BYU) def. Baldy (OU) 6-0, 6-4