THE RUNDOWN
WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS – A day after moving up 12 spots in the national rankings, No. 23-ranked Midwestern State looks to climb a little higher. The Mustangs knocked off No. 8-ranked Central Oklahoma, 4-3, on Thursday afternoon at the MSU Tennis Center.
 
For the second-straight match, MSU Texas won the last match standing to take the win. Junior Ashley Ramirez staved off Kirtana Bhat in the third set, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to clinch the victory.
 
MSU picked up its biggest upset since defeating Concordia-Irvine, 5-2, on March 15, 2011 while recording its first upset of a top-10 team this season. The Maroon and Gold improve to 15-5 on the year after posting their sixth-straight win.
 
The Mustangs stunned the Bronchos early in doubles by racing out to a quick lead on all three courts before claiming the doubles competition for the eighth time in the last nine matches. Additionally, the Maroon and Gold move to 12-0 when grabbing the 1-0 lead.
 
A day after making their first appearance in the national rankings, the tandem of Ashley Ramirez and Bianca Duff upended 16th-ranked Isabella Dunlap and Paola Landin, 6-1, at the top flight.
 
The pair of Lea Cizeron and Juliette Mary clinched the doubles point behind a 6-3 victory over Sarah Van Eeckhoudt and Kirtana Bhat at No. 3.
 
MSU Texas and UCO exchanged blows in singles, splitting the first set on all six courts.
 
Duff raced out to a quick lead against eighth-ranked Adel-Byanu Abidullina before falling 7-5, 6-2, at the No. 1 flight to pull the Bronchos even.
 
Casie Curry responded with a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Van Eeckhoudt to put the Mustangs back on top, 2-1. The 60^th-ranked freshman won her sixth-straight to improve to 13-1 in singles.
 
Two days after clinching the win over Oklahoma Baptist, Mary found herself in another second-set tiebreaker. The Perpignan, France, native built a 6-3 cushion after the first set, but 70^th-ranked Nikki Boyar forced a tiebreaker in the second frame. Mary again came out on top for the upset, 8-6, to stretch the MSU Texas lead to 3-1.
 
UCO registered back-to-back wins at the Nos. 3 & 2 lines to draw even.
 
Cizeron and Lazzarotto each fell to 66^th-ranked Landin and sixth-ranked Dunlap, 6-2, 7-5, respectively, to force the action to the No. 4 line.
 
Ramirez snapped a three-match skid in singles to clinch the winner. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native claimed a 6-4 win in the third set to decide the match and pull off the upset.
 
BOX SCORE
#23 Midwestern State (15-5) def. #8 Central Oklahoma (15-4)
Thurs., April 18, 2019 | 2 p.m.
Wichita Falls, Texas
MSU Tennis Center
 
Doubles
No. 1 – #50 Ashley Ramirez/Bianca Duff (MSU) def. #16 Isabella Dunlap/Paola Landin (UCO) 6-1
No. 2 – Greta Lazzarotto/Casie Curry (MSU) vs. Adel-Byanu Abidullina/Nikki Boyar (UCO) 5-5 unfinished
No. 3 – Lea Cizeron/Juliette Mary (MSU) def. Sarah Van Eeckhoudt/Kirtana Bhat (UCO) 6-3
 
Singles
No. 1 – #8 Adel-Byanu Abidullina (UCO) def. Bianca Duff (MSU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 – #6 Isabella Dunlap (UCO) def. Greta Lazzarotto (MSU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 – #66 Paola Landin (UCO) def. Lea Cizeron (MSU) 6-2, 7-5
No. 4 – Ashley Ramirez (MSU) def. Kirtana Bhat (UCO) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
No. 5 – Juliette Mary (MSU) def. #70 Nikki Boyar (UCO) 6-3, 7-6 (6)
No. 6 – #60 Casie Curry (MSU) def. Sarah Van Eeckhoudt (UCO) 6-4, 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (1, 3); Singles (1, 6, 5, 3, 2, 4)

UP NEXT
MSU returns to MSU Tennis Center on Friday, April 19 against fifth-ranked Washburn. First serve is slated for 3 p.m.