Tennis Hosts Mizzou in Big 12 Opener
BOULDER - The University of Colorado tennis team will open the Big 12 Conference season Saturday, March 8 when they host the Missouri Tigers at the Millennium Hotel Harvest House. The doubles competition will be the first event to take place beginning at 11 a.m., followed by the singles events.
The Buffaloes (2-6, 0-0 Big 12) have not played a home match since Feb. 9 and will play four home matches in a row through March 16. On March 11, CU will host Yale at 2 p.m., followed by Kansas (Mar. 14, 2 p.m.) and Kansas State (Mar. 16, 11 a.m.). All matches are scheduled at the Harvest House.
Missouri enters the match with an 8-4 record and have lost three of their last four, after winning seven straight. Colorado holds a 22-2 advantage in the series with Mizzou dating back to 1981, and three of the last five matches.
Admission and parking to all home tennis matches is free and open to the public.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Seniors Gleisy Torres Torres and Veera Nurmi are moving up the all-time victories list with 64 and 63, respectively. They are currently 17th and 18th on the all-time singles list.
ROAD WIN: CU won on the road for the first time this spring season upsetting No. 52 Arizona in Tucson. The Buffaloes achieved the doubles point, then won the singles portion, No. 2 through No. 5. It was CU's second straight win over Arizona in as many years.
TEAM LEADERS: Junior Franziska Jendrian leads the team with 11 triumphs this year, followed by sophomore Melisa Esposito with 10. In dual play, Jendrian, junior Monica Milewski and senior Veera Nurmi each have four wins.
UP NEXT: CU opens a four-match homestand today with its Big 12 Conference opener against Mizzou (it's also the Tigers Big 12 opener). On March 10, the Buffs host Yale for the first time since 1981 (CU leads the series 1-0). Next week, CU hosts a pair of Big 12 foes in Kansas and Kansas State.
CU AOW: Senior Veera Nurmi was named CU's Athlete of the Week from Feb. 25-Mar. 2. This is the second career CU weekly honor for Nurmi. The Lahti, Finland native, clinched Colorado's match at No. 4 singles defeating Arizona's Jane Huh in three sets, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. Nurmi's match helped the Buffaloes (2-6) defeat the No. 52 Arizona, 5-2 in their lone match of the week and it helped CU break a three-match losing streak. The win over the Wildcats was CU's first victory on the road this season. Nurmi has won four of her last five singles matches and the win was her 63rd career singles match victory.
21 Questions with Melisa
1) My favorite thing about Boulder...the mountains
2) The favorite thing I always pack for a road trip...ipod
3) When I'm not playing or practicing tennis, I like to...hang out with friends
4) Best thing about CU Tennis...my teammates
5) "Must See" TV for me is....lost
6) Favorite Musician/Group...keith urban or john mayer
7) Sport I would like to try other than tennis...soccer
8) My prematch rituals are...listening to music
9) Favorite women's tennis player on the tour...martina hingis
10) If I was stranded somewhere remote, I MUST have these three things...music/ipod, food/water, tanning lotion
11) Who would play yourself in a movie, and who would co-star as one of your teammates...kate (from Lost) and monica would be hurley
12) Who on the team makes you laugh the most...tori
13) Favorite website...facebook
14) Three words that describe me...genuine, funny, random
15) What superpower would I like to have...to be able to fly
16) Favorite restaurant in Boulder...the rio
17) Best talent not related to tennis...making people laugh, or being resourceful
18) Favorite professional team...miami heat
19) Two-week vacation anywhere in the world...traveling to italy, ireland and greece
20) When I grow up, I want to be...a super hero
21) Which pro tennis player would you like the opportunity to whoop up on? maria sharapova. she definitely isn't one of my favorites