EDMOND (April 9) – Surging Central Oklahoma polished off a dominating weekend here Saturday morning, rolling over Northwest Missouri 5-0 to rack up its second win in less than 20 hours.
The Bronchos took out Lone Star Conference rival Incarnate Word 5-1 Friday evening in a neutral-site match in Lawton and didn't arrive back in Edmond until midnight before taking on NWMSU at 10 a.m.
That short turnaround didn't bother UCO, which swept all three doubles matches to take early control before finishing off the shutout with lopsided singles wins by Eli Abramovic and Anto Rossini.
The Bronchos, now 14-8 overall and 6-2 in the league, have won five straight matches and seven of their last eight.
“It feels good to get three confident wins this week,” said UCO coach Natalya Nikitina-Helvey, whose team beat Tarleton State 7-2 Wednesday in Denton, Texas. “As the season comes to an end we are coming together as a team and playing our best tennis, testing our mental and physical shape.
“I am really pleased with my team and hope we can carry it on into next week with five matches, especially against rival Northeastern (State) on Tuesday.”
UCO got a key 9-7 win from the No. 2 team of Lacy Caldwell and Anto Rossini to take a 2-1 lead after doubles play in Friday night's bout with UIW and then won the first three singles matches to end it.
Rossini, Julia Shviadok and Rose Cabato claimed singles wins for the Bronchos, who were ahead in the other three matches when the dual ended.
UCO went ahead 3-0 in sweeping the doubles against NWMSU and then ended it early as Rossini cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 triumph and Abramovic a 6-3, 6-0 rout. The Bronchos had sizeable leads in the four other matches.
UCO wraps up its home schedule and honors its lone senior – Caldwell – when the Bronchos host NSU at 2 p.m. Saturday.
UCO 5, Incarnate Word 1
Doubles
No. 1 – Julia Shviadok/Eli Abramovic, UCO, def. Audrey Hernandez/Maggae Doney, 8-4.
No. 2 – Lacy Caldwell/Anto Rossini, UCO, def. Casey Bulls/Alex Adams, 9-7.
No. 3 – Brianda Navarro/Robolledo, UIW, def. Rose Cabato/Anna Kochigina, 9-8.
Singles
No. 1 – Shviadok, UCO, def. Hernandez, 7-5, 6-3.
No. 4 – Rossini, UCO, def. Adams, 6-2, 6-3.
No. 6 – Cabato, UCO, def. Francesca Bassoo, 6-1, 6-2.
UCO 5, Northwest Missouri 0
Doubles
No. 1 – Julia Shviadok/Eli Abramovic, UCO, def. Leston/Feldhause, 8-4.
No. 2 – Lacy Caldwell/Anto Rossini, UCO, def. Hoffman/Bartek, 8-3.
No. 3 – Rose Cabato/Anna Kochigina, UCO, def. Weir/Wulff, 8-6.
Singles
No. 2 – Abramovic, UCO, def. Bartek, 6-3, 6-0.
No. 4 – Rossini, UCO, def. Ropallo, 6-0, 6-1.
