Ducks Looking For Rocky Mountain Rebound

Sophomore Anna Powaska Photo: goducks.com

EUGENE - The No. 48 Ducks (4-2, 0-0) look to rebound on the road as the head to Colorado to take on No. 45 Denver (4-1, 0-0) and the No. 51 University of Colorado (3-1, 0-0).

The matches mark the fifth and sixth consecutive matches for the Ducks against a ranked opponent.

They have split the previous four matches, besting No. 57 Alabama and No. 50 Texas Tech while falling to No. 22 Michigan and No. 63 Sacramento State.

Scouting Denver:

Led by sophomore Annette Aksdal, who upset No. 81 Jenny Kuehn of Michigan earlier in the year, the Pioneers are curently on a four match win streak after knocking off Indiana State and No. 58 Iowa last weekend.

Senior Rachael Sackmaster was the ultimate difference in the victory over the Hawkeyes as her win at the No. 5 position sealed the fourth singles win of the match for the Pioneers, completing the comeback after Denver lost the doubles point.

Scouting Colorado:

No. 36 Monica Monica Milewski leads the Buffaloes, who fell for the first time last week to No. 57 Alabama, whom the Ducks defeated earlier in the year.

Milewski is the lone nationally ranked player on the Buffaloes, but they have currently have two other players on the roster who are undefeated in junior Gleisy Torres Torres and freshman Melisa Esposito who are both 4-0.

Last Time Out:

For the second consecutive day, the Ducks were unable to capitalize on a dominating doubles performance, as they fell 4-3 to Sacramento State.

Sophomore Claudia Hirt led early in her match, but fell 5-7, 2-6 to Cecilia Helland for her first loss of the year, while Anna Powaska won her first set 6-3 against Luba Schifris, but Schifris battled back and took the last two sets, and the match, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Dominika Dieskova failed to win a game in her match, losing 0-6, 0-6 to Katrina Zheltova, and Ana Cecilia Olivos dropped her match as well, 5-7, 3-6, in a much closer contest against Anastassia Lyssenko.

Carmen Seremeta was a bright spot for Oregon at the three spot, as she once again hung tough after losing the first set, and won her match 6-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Ranked Ducks:

Dominika Dieskova and Ana Cecilia Olivos enter the season ranked as the No. 28 ranked doubles team in the nation. Due to lack of results in the fall due to injury, Dieskova, ranked as the preseason No. 26, is not currently ranked.

Doubles Domination:

The Ducks have never failed to win the doubles point during the current dual season, compiling a 17-1 record as a team.

The only loss of the season came from the Claudia Hirt and Carmen Seremeta in the No. 2 position against Texas Tech’s Samantha van-der-Drift and Kerryn Potgieter on January 26th.

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