TULSA, Okla. - A season of firsts for California - including its first No. 1 ranking and first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Championship - ended at the team level when the Golden Bears lost in the NCAA semifinals to 12th-seeded Oklahoma State, 4-3, on Monday indoors at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
The Cowgirls clinched the victory when Cal's 80th-ranked Lynn Chi - a senior who was playing in her last match as a Golden Bear - fell to the 66th-ranked Viktoriya Lushkova, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, at court-two singles.
Cal winds up the 2015-16 season with a 23-2 record. The Cowgirls improved to 29-4.
“What a match,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “They came out really strong in doubles on a couple of courts. We didn't quite make adjustments fast enough. We played fantastic on court one. But I think we just couldn't quite turn around a couple courts there in the doubles."
Playing indoors on another rainy day in Tulsa wasn't an issue for the Bears, who won their first national team title at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in February. They ran into a hot OSU team that had upset No. 5 Georgia in the round of 16 and No. 4 Ohio State in the quarterfinals.
On Monday morning, Cal lost the doubles point, falling on courts two and three despite leading, 5-2, on court one.
In singles, the Bears tied the overall match when sophomore Karla Popovic beat Carla Tur Mari, 6-1, 6-2, on court six, and they went ahead 2-1 when freshman and Tulsa product Olivia Hauger won, 6-2, 6-4, on court five. They fell behind, 3-2, when first the 88th-ranked Denise Starr lost on court four to Kelsey Laurente, 6-4, 6-3, and then the seventh-ranked Maegan Manasse lost to the 47th-ranked Katarina Adamovic, 6-4, 6-2.
But 16th-ranked senior Klara Fabikova - who will play in the NCAA Singles Championship - pulled Cal into a 3-3 tie with Oklahoma State with her 6-3, 7-6(6) victory on court two over the 44th-ranked Vladica Babic. All eyes then moved to court three, on which Cal's run in the NCAA Championship came to an end.
“In the singles we were looking quite good, but they really raised their level on a couple courts when they needed to," Augustus said. "We fought as hard as we could, and I'm super proud of my team for the season they had. Oklahoma State is having a heck of a tournament. They're feeling good, and they battled hard. Someone wasn't going to win that match today.
“I'm proud of what we did this season. Winning a national championship and being in a final four here is a great season, so I'm really proud of our team.”
Of her seniors, Chi and Fabikova, Augustus said, “They worked really, really hard this year. They've been huge contributors all four years. They gave it their very best shot today, and so I think they'll be on our Legacy Wall back home at Hellman as will this team."
“It wasn't to be for us today,” Augustus added. “We just had a fantastic season, and I'm nothing but proud of the entire team and the way they competed and represented Cal.”
#12 Oklahoma State (29-4) def. #1 California (23-2), 4-3
May 23, 2016, in Tulsa, Okla.
Michael D. Case Tennis Center • 10 a.m.
Head Coaches: Amanda Augustus (California) and Chris Young (Oklahoma State)
Doubles
1. #4 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (California) vs. #43 Maria Alvarez/Kelsey Laurente (Oklahoma State), 5-2 DNF
2. #54 Viktoriya Lushkova/Carla Tur Mari (Oklahoma State) def. #90 Klara Fabikova/Olivia Hauger (California), 6-2
3. #79 Katarina Adamovic/Vladica Babic (Oklahoma State) def. Lynn Chi/Maria Smith (California), 6-0
OSU won the doubles point
Order of Finish: 3, 2
Singles
1. #47 Katarina Adamovic (Oklahoma State) def. #7 Maegan Manasse (California), 6-4, 6-2
2. #16 Klara Fabikova (California) def. #44 Vladica Babic (Oklahoma State), 6-3, 7-6 (6)
3. #66 Viktoriya Lushkova (Oklahoma State) def. #80 Lynn Chi (California), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Kelsey Laurente (Oklahoma State) def. #88 Denise Starr (California), 6-4, 6-3
5. Olivia Hauger (California) def. Katarina Stresnakova (Oklahoma State), 6-2, 6-4
6. Karla Popovic (California) def. Carla Tur Mari (Oklahoma State), 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish: 6, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3
