Posts tagged Nicole Kenneally
CU tennis is building a head of steam with recent victories
Apr 2nd
CU is in the ITA College Tennis Rankings for the first time in the regular season since April 2010.
The Buffaloes, ranked No. 75, join nine other Pac-12 Conference teams in the rankings. Colorado holds a 7-11 overall, 2-5 Pac-12 record, tying for sixth in conference standings. With three matches left in the season, the Buffs have already matched their 2011-12 win total.
“It’s exciting for the program, and it’s exciting for the players,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been included in the national rankings. I think it’s a testament to all the hard work the players have put in during the fall semester and in this spring semester. It shows their continued engagement in the process of learning and getting better in every match and every practice. I’m excited for the program.”
The most recently the Buffs have been ranked in the regular season was when they concluded the 2009-10 regular season against No. 19 Texas. The Buffs went into the match ranked No. 68 and finished the season with an 11-13 overall, 3-8 Big 12 record and a No. 72 ranking.
The Buffs have marked several milestones this year. They earned their first ever Pac-12 win on March 10 with a 4-2 win over Arizona, breaking a 26-match regular season conference losing streak. This season, the Buffs have taken down two out of eight ranked opponents. CU beat No. 62 Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on February 2, marking their first win over a ranked opponent since the then-ranked No. 55 Buffs defeated No. 71 Denver on February 1, 2010.
After facing a tough stretch versus ranked Pac-12 teams, the Buffs got a big win over No. 59 Oregon last weekend. The 5-2 victory over the Ducks marks the highest ranked opponent the Buffs have defeated since beating then-ranked No. 46 New Mexico on February 7, 2009. All nine of CU’s most recent opponents have either been ranked, had at least one ranked player or both (as is the case for six of the teams, including Oregon). Of the teams the Buffs have faced this season, 11 hold a place the current rankings, with five ranked in the top 25.
The Buffs conclude their regular season against stiff competition. CU takes on No. 70 Washington State at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 5 and No. 45 Washington at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 7. They end the season against No. 63 Utah at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. All matches will be held at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex unless weather moves play indoors.
CU media release
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CU women’s tennis gets an historical win
Mar 29th
“I’m really proud of the players,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “We came out and competed. It’s been a tough couple of weeks of competition that we’ve had, playing the top four schools in our conference, who were really, really tough. I think we all learned from that, and it really helped us today. I think they really bounced back well. We’ve got three more teams coming into town over the next couple of weeks and we look forward to having those teams here.”
The Buffaloes pick up their first win over a ranked opponent since taking down No. 62 Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on February 2. This marks the highest ranked opponent the Buffs have defeated since beating then-ranked No. 46 New Mexico on February 7, 2009. All nine of CU’s most recent opponents have either been ranked, had at least one ranked player or both (as is the case for six of the teams, including Oregon). The Buffs are now 2-6 against ranked opponents this season, and an impressive 5-2 at home, opening home outdoor play against the Ducks.
“It means something when players don’t necessarily play their best and still win and find a way,” Kenneally said. “I think we did that in several positions today in singles and doubles. That’s what I’m most proud of because it just shows that mentally they’ve taken a step forward, which is great.”
Colorado improves to 7-11 overall, 2-5 Pac-12, matching last year’s overall win total, and marking the first time since the 2009-10 season that the Buffs won at least two conference matches. Oregon, having been ranked in the ITA top-75 in all but two matches this spring, falls to 11-5, 1-4 Pac-12. CU leads the overall series 10-6.
The Buffs sprang into action early, taking the doubles point. The freshman duo of Dhany Quevedo and Mazy Watrous got its first ever win as a pair, besting Hughes/Hager 8-1. Juniors Winde Janssens and Carla Manzi Tenorio continue to be a power for the Buffs, earning their 10th win together this season with an 8-5 win over Metzger/Neubert.
After facing seven straight ranked opponents, Julyette Steur claimed a win over the eighth, defeating No. 102 Nicole Long, who has lost only twice this spring, 6-1, 6-1 for her 14th win of the season. All but one of her wins this spring have been in straight sets. The victory was Steur’s first over a ranked opponent since she beat then-ranked No. 104 McCall Jones of UCLA on March 23, 2012.
Janssens and Manzi Tenorio each earned their 40th career singles win with victories in straight sets. Janssens bested Patricia Skowronski 6-1, 6-3. Janssens leads the Buffs with 16 wins this season, including four in-conference. Manzi Tenorio got her 14th win of the season and her second over a conference opponent with a solid 6-4, 7-6 win over Lana Buttner.
Senior Erin Sanders once again clinched the match for the Buffs, defeating Pascale Neubert 6-3, 6-3. Sanders now has seven wins this season, including two major conference victories.
The Buffs return to action next weekend as the season draws to a close. CU takes on Washington State at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 5 and Washington at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 7.
from CU SPORTS PRESS RELEASE!!!
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CU women’s tennis loses another close one as PAC-12 play begins
Mar 3rd
Recent close game losses haven’t dimmed the coaches enthusiasm for her team. Colorado tennis team fell 4-3 to Princeton on Saturday.
“After seven hours, we lost a close one 4-3 to Princeton,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said after the match. “It came down to the wire. I couldn’t be more proud of our players. They really left it out there, and I think if you look at the scores, you’re going to see that we really gave it our best effort as a team today. I believe that in matches like this, obviously we’ve had a lot of close 4-3 losses, this team is going to grow stronger, and they’re going to get better from it. We’re going to get the better side of it at some point. As long as we keep going and keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep putting ourselves in position to take one. I believe this group will do that, and it’s just a matter of time.”
The Buffaloes take a 5-5 record into Pac-12 Conference play. CU is 1-1 all-time against Princeton and 1-1 against ranked teams this spring. Princeton holds a 5-2 record, with each of its losses coming against ranked opponents.
In what was a true marathon of a day, four singles matches were pushed to three sets, with two Buffs coming out victorious. Freshmen Dhany Quevedo and Mazy Watrous both fought off first set deficits to claim victories. After Quevedo dropped her first set against Katherine Flanigan 6-4, she lost only four games total for the remainder of the match to claim the win. Quevedo now has a 2-0 record when dropping the first set. Watrous shined against Emily Hahn for her second career win and her first victory in three sets. After falling 6-3 in the opening set, she dominated the rest of the match, 6-2, 6-1.
Julyette Steur stands out in the No. 1 singles position, defeating Lindsay Graff 6-4, 6-3. Steur leads the Buffs with 13 wins this season. She is on a four-match winning streak and has dropped just two matches this spring. All but one of her eight wins in the spring have been in straight sets.
The Buffs continue their home-stand by starting conference play. CU takes on Arizona in the conference opener at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 8 and Arizona State at 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 10. Stay tuned to CUBuffs.com for location updates.
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