By Dylan Fink | Sports Writer
Baylor women’s tennis fell earlier than expected at the Big 12 Tournament this week, losing 4-1 to No. 23 TCU in Orlando, Fla., Thursday afternoon.
The central Florida sun and a dominant performance from junior Zuzanna Kubacha weren’t enough to carry the six-seeded Bears away from their 4-1 loss.
TCU (18-4, 10-3 Big 12) set the tone early taking the doubles portion on the match with ease. While the green and gold fought to keep pace, the Horned Frogs secured the opening point with back-to-back closing doubles victories.
The Court 3 pairing of senior Kennedy Gibbs and Kubacha struggled to find a rhythm in a 6-2 loss to their opposing pair. The Horned Frog’s first point was clinched on Court 2, where senior Na Dong and freshman Luna Ivkovic fell 6-4.
Despite the early deficit, Kubacha provided a massive spark for Baylor at the start of singles. The junior commanded her court with a skunk of TCU senior Yu-Chin Tsai 6-0.
Kubacha continued to close out the set 6-0 and 6-3. Her dominant performance briefly leveled the match at 1-1, giving the Bears a slight taste of life.
Despite Kubacha’s fight, the Horned Frogs quickly took hold of the match. At the No. 5 spot, Ivkovic couldn’t overcome her matchup, falling 6-1 and 6-0.
On Court 3, freshman Mu-Jie Tzeng battled through a tight second set but ultimately dropped a 6-4, 7-5 decision, putting the Bears on the brink of heading back to Waco.
The match reached its conclusion with the fourth singles spot. Sophomore Alian Zack came out on fire with a 6-1 win in the first set. The Horned Frogs rallied back to take the next two, ending the day with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
The Bears now head back to Waco to wait for the NCAA Division I Team Championships selection show, which will air on NCAA.com on April 27. With a top-40 national ranking, Baylor remains firmly in the conversation for the postseason field.
