LAWRENCE, Kan. – The 16th-ranked Cal women's tennis team shook off a 3-1 deficit and rebounded to knock off No. 19 Kansas, 4-3, on Saturday to end the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in the consolation match at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. Freshman Valentina Ivanov defeat Luniuska Delgado, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, at court-three singles to clinch the victory for the Golden Bears.
 
"I was pleased to see us rebound today against a tough Kansas team playing at home, indoors," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "Our entire team especially our freshmen were much more comfortable today with the flow of the dual match."
 
Cal evened its record at 1-1. Kansas is now 2-2.
 
The Bears trailed 1-0 after dropping the doubles point. The pair of Ivanov and Julia Rosenqvist got a win over Sonia Smagina and Vasiliki Karvouni, 6-3, on court two. But the Jayhawks clinched the point when Delgado and Malkia Ngounoue upset Cal's 13th-ranked Anna Bright and Haley Giavara, 6-4, on court one.
 
In singles, Kansas took a 2-0 lead when Maria Toran Ribes upended Cal's Jessica Zeynel, 7-5, 6-0. The 21st-ranked Giavara, one of Cal's three talented freshmen, put Cal on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 93rd-ranked Ngounoue on court two. But Kansas pulled ahead 3-1 when Karvouni topped Cal's Erin Richardson, 6-3, 6-1.
 
The Bears rallied to win three consecutive three-setters to prevail, starting with the 100th-ranked Bright besting Carmen Roxana Manu, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1. Next, the 45th-ranked Rosenqvist beat the 63rd-ranked Smagina, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, to tie the match at 3-3 – before the 20th-ranked Ivanov handed Cal the win.
 
"Overall it's a top-20 win on the road, which will bode well as we go forward in the season," Augustus added. "Although we didn't get the doubles point today we did a better job than yesterday with the adjustments we made. The most important thing was when it came down to it in the third sets of singles, we had confidence in ourselves and played to win. We were glad to get a win for the Bears."
 
Cal's next scheduled match is against No. 4 UCLA on Feb 21 in Los Angeles.
 
ITA Kick-Off Weekend
 
No. 16 California (1-1) defeated No. 19 Kansas (2-2), 4-3
Jan. 25, 2020, in Lawrence, Kan.
Jayhawk Tennis Center
 
Doubles
1. Malkia Ngounoue/Luniuska Delgado (Kansas) def. No. 13 Anna Bright/Haley Giavara (Cal), 6-4*
2. Valentina Ivanov/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Sonia Smagina/Vasiliki Karvouni (Kansas), 6-3
3. Julia Deming/Maria Toran Ribes (Kansas) def. Jasie Dunk/Katerina Stloukalova (Cal), 6-2
 
Order of Finish – 3, 2, 1*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 45 Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. No. 63 Sonia Smagina (Kansas), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1
2. No. 21 Haley Giavara (Cal) def. No. 93 Malkia Ngounoue (Kansas), 6-3, 6-2
3. No. 20 Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Luniuska Delgado (Kansas), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2^
4. No. 100 Anna Bright (Cal) def. Carmen Roxana Manu (Kansas), 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
5. Vasiliki Karvouni (Kansas) def. Erin Richardson (Cal), 6-3, 6-1
6. Maria Toran Ribes (Kansas) def. Jessica Zeynel (Cal), 7-5, 6-0
 
Order of Finish – 6, 2, 5, 4, 1, 3^
*Clinched the overall match