No. 54 Wichita State took their seven dual-match winning streak to Colorado this weekend to face Northern Colorado, Denver and Colorado.

WSU had to overcome a slow start Friday against the Northern Colorado Bears.

Doubles play began with Veronika Blaskova/Lucia Kovalova falling to Beth Coton/Stephanie Catlin 8-3. Montse Blasco-Fernandez/Rebecca Pedrazzi (No. 9 in the ITA Central Doubles Ranking) won their match 8-3. Satjaporn Mahajaroenkul/Julia Schiller dropped their match 8-6 to give the Bears a 1-0 dual-match lead heading into singles play.

“After dropping the doubles point, we were disappointed,” said Blaskova. “We knew we’d have to play our best in singles to get the win.”

All six Shocker women won their singles matches to overcome their early deficit. Pedrazzi tied the match at one apiece with a 6-3, 6-1 win, Kovalova won 6-4, 6-2 to give WSU their first lead in the dual-match.

Abby Stevens added a 6-2, 6-4 victory of her own before Schiller clinched the match with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win.

Mahajaroenkul and Blasco-Fernandez added wins after clinching the match for a 6-1 dual-match score.

In the second match of the weekend, the Shockers faced No. 57 University of Denver. Wichita State played doubles with an 8-2 victory from Schiller/Stevens and an 8-5 victory from Blasco-Fernandez/Pedrazzi.

WSU took the 1-0 lead into singles play, where it was tied immediately by Sonja Radosevic (Denver) who beat Kovalova 6-0, 6-3. WSU regained the lead with a 6-1, 6-0 win from Pedrazzi.

Evy Van Genechten (Denver) tied the dual-match at two when she beat Blasco-Fernandez 6-1, 6-3. Mahajaroenkul set up the Shockers for a win by winning her match 6-4, 6-2. She had the dual-match standing at 3-2 in favor of WSU.

Abby Stevens dropped her three-set match 0-6, 6-3, 3-6 and left the match sitting on Schiller’s shoulders. Schiller responded with a 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch a 4-3 win.

“We knew that with the altitude and how fast their courts are, we were not playing in the easiest conditions,” Pedrazzi said. “We fought and took the match.”

On Sunday the Shocks travelled to Boulder, Colo. to take on Colorado University. WSU took the 1-0 lead in doubles play with wins from duos Blaskova/Kovalova and Schiller/Stevens.

The Colorado singles play was too strong for the Shockers to overcome. They lost 4-2 ending an eight-match winning streak.

Schiller fell to Julyette Steur 6-3, 6-2 which tied the match at one each. Kovalova lost as well 6-3, 7-6(3) giving the Buffaloes their first lead. WSU did tie it back up with a win from Pedrazzi in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Stevens lost her three-set match 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 to give CU the lead, again which they did not relinquish as they got a win over Blasco-Fernandez 6-1, 7-6(4). The loss puts WSU’s record at 8-3.

“It was a really good fight,” Kovalova said. “Definitely something we can be proud of after a tough weekend.”

WSU will play again at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb 28 when they travel to Lawrence to face the University of Kansas.