Tennis Buffs Handily Defeat UNC Bears 7-0

BOULDER – The University of Colorado tennis team began the 2014 spring season on a strong note, soundly defeating Northern Colorado 7-0. Six of the individual Buffaloes defeated their opponent in straight sets.

“I’m just really happy with our performance today, being the first match of the year” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “We’ve had two solid weeks of practice, and the girls have really stayed focused. Today a lot of that came out. We’ve done a great job in the fall semester, and that’s transferred over into the spring. It’s exciting to be at the time when we’re competing now. It was a solid win today against Northern Colorado. They came out and competed hard. We know we have a bigger test tomorrow against Boise State, and we look forward to playing them.”

The Buffs took the lead early by winning the doubles point. In the number one spot, Winde Janssens and Nuria Ormeno Ruiz claimed their eighth win as a pair with a 6-1 win over Coton/Catlin. Julette Steur and Ashley Tiefel are also proving to be a dynamic duo, earning their fifth win of the year with a 6-2 defeat of Whner/Hoolahan. The Buffs had already claimed the point before Alex Aiello and Carla Manzi Tenorio’s doubles match could be complete, though the CU pair held a 4-3 edge over Nieto/Walters-West as played was suspended.

In singles play, Julyette Steur had another impressive performance, allowing just one game to her opponent. Steur defeated Adriana Nieto 6-1, 6-0. The win marked Steur’s 25th in straight sets.

The two set victories continued for the Buffs as sophomore Alex Aiello handed Stephanie Catlin a 6-1, 6-2 defeat. In her first year with the Buffs, Aiello leads the squad with 11 wins in the 2013-14 season.

Winde Janssens grabbed her 45th career victory with a win over Chrissie Hoolahan. Janssens breezed through the first set 6-1, and pushed past Hoolahan 6-4 in the second.

Nuria Ormeno Ruiz got the fourth straight set win of the day, defeating Laura Wehner 6-2, 6-3. When Ormeno Ruiz was one game away from the victory, Wehner kept pushing, forcing another at 5-3, and grabbing an advantage in the next set. But Ormeno Ruiz claimed the match on her second match point for her 10th win of the year.

With a 6-2, 6-4 win over Hilary Walters-West, senior Carla Manzi Tenorio jumped a spot in the CU record books. Manzi Tenorio now has 46 singles wins in her career, tying for 33rd all-time at CU.

Though she dropped her first set 6-2, Ashley Tiefel came back better than ever. She won the second set 6-3 to force a 10 point tiebreaker, which she swiftly won 10-2. The comeback was the third of Tiefel’s career.      

The Buffs continue their homestand Saturday, Jan. 25 against Boise State. First serve is at 11 a.m. at the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center at Millennium Harvest House.

Colorado 7, UNC 0
CU (1-0), UNC (0-1)
Friday, January 24
Rocky Mountain Tennis Center at Millennium Harvest House
Boulder, Colo.

1d) Janssens/Ormeno Ruiz (CU) def. Coton/Catlin 6-1
2d) Aiello/Manzi Tenorio (CU) vs. Nieto/Walters-West (UNC) 4-3 (DNF)
3d) Steur/Tiefel (CU) def. Wehner/Hoolahan 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3

1s) Julyette Steur (CU) def. Adriana Nieto 6-1, 6-0
2s) Alex Aiello (CU) def. Stephanie Catlin 6-1, 6-2
3s) Winde Janssens (CU) def. Chrissie Hoolahan 6-1, 6-4
4s) Nuria Ormeno Ruiz (CU) def. Laura Wehner 6-2, 6-3
5s) Carla Manzi Tenorio (CU) def. Hilary Walters-West 6-2, 6-4
6s) Ashley Tiefel (CU) def. Beth Coton 2-6, 6-3, 10-2
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6