The Basics
No. 1 Oklahoma State returns home looking to stay unbeaten this weekend as it hosts No. 65 TCU Friday at 6 p.m. and No. 26 Baylor Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Greenwood Tennis Center. The Cowgirls are coming off wins over No. 24 Texas Tech and No. 37 BYU, improving them to 15-0, the second-best start to a season in program history (18-0 in 1981).
Following the Action
Both of this weekend's matches will be available to watch as part of Cracked Racquets CrossCourt Cast coverage on ESPN+. Additionally, live scoring can be viewed at the following link: okstate.statbroadcast.com.
In the Rankings
Oklahoma State continued its reign as the nation's No. 1 team in the latest ITA rankings. In the singles rankings, Ange Oby Kajuru appeared at No. 4, while Anastasiya Komar came in at No. 7, Lucia Peyre at No. 54, Ayumi Miyamoto at No. 84 and Safiya Carrington at No. 89. In doubles, Komar and Kajuru checked in at No. 5, while Komar and Raquel Gonzalez appeared at No. 21.
Series History
Friday will be the 26th all-time meeting between OSU and TCU, with the Cowgirls entering on an 11-match win streak against the Horned Frogs while leading the all-time series 16-9. Baylor is one of just three Big 12 schools (Texas & UCF) with a winning record all-time against Oklahoma State, leading the series 21-12. The Cowgirls have been better as of late, however, winning the last two matches and seven of the last eight.
Indoor National Champs
Oklahoma State captured its first-ever ITA Indoor National Championship in February in Seattle, Washington, putting an exclamation point on what has been a historic start to the season for the Cowgirls. OSU battled through a field that included 15 of the top 16 ranked teams in the country, going through then No. 14 Auburn, No. 10 Texas and No. 2 Stanford before taking down No. 5 Michigan in the title match. Head coach Chris Young and the Cowgirls took over the top spot in the ITA rankings after winning the indoor title and will now set their sights on an NCAA title run, which will be played at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater in May.
The Resume
Oklahoma State has exceeded what were already high expectations for the start of its 2024 season, producing its best start since 1981 at 15-0. 11 of the 15 wins have come against top-30 ranked opponents, with five coming against teams that were ranked in the top-10 at the time of the match. Going by the latest ITA rankings, the Cowgirls have beaten No. 2 Michigan (twice), No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Pepperdine, No. 7 Texas, No. 11 Ohio State and No. 13 Auburn. The win over Stanford in the ITA Indoor National Championship semifinal was the first in program history against the Cardinal, snapping a six-match losing streak. The five wins over top-10 opponents are the most in program history for a season, and it took this year's team only nine matches to get there.
Asserting Dominance
After winning the ITA Indoor National Championship, Oklahoma State didn't miss a beat when play moved outdoors. The Cowgirls have won their six outdoor matches by a combined score of 33-4, including three shutouts and three wins over opponents ranked in the top-30. On the season, the Cowgirls are now 57-17 in singles matches for a winning percentage of .770, led by Kristina Novak (10-0), Ange Oby Kajuru (10-3) and Lucia Peyre (10-4). OSU is also 25-13 in doubles (.658) behind a 10-3 start from Anastasiya Komar and Ange Oby Kajuru at the No. 1 position.
Notable Streaks and Trends
• Oklahoma State has won the doubles point in nine of its last 10 matches and 12 of 15 on the season.
• In singles and doubles, the Cowgirls are a combined 20-8 against nationally ranked opponents.
• Out of the No. 4 and No. 6 spots, OSU is a combined 23-3.
• Kristina Novak is 10-0 to begin the season and 4-0 against ranked opponents.
• After starting the season 0-2, Anastasiya Komar and Ange Oby Kajuru have won nine of their last 10 doubles matches from the No. 1 position.
Oklahoma State Wins Would...
• Give it 12 wins against teams ranked in the top-30 at the time of the match.
• Improve it to 17-0, its best start to a season since 1981 (18-0).
• Improve it to 6-0 in conference play.
• Improve it to 8-0 at home this season.
• Improve it to 17-9 all-time against TCU.
• Improve it to 13-21 all-time against Baylor.
• Improve it to 115-18 all-time at the Greenwood Tennis Center.
