{"id":946192,"date":"2026-10-25T22:10:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T22:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/946192\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T22:10:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T22:10:11","slug":"crncan-ikedo-win-in-singles-as-buffs-close-out-colorado-cup-against-csu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/946192\/","title":{"rendered":"Crncan, Ikedo Win in Singles as Buffs Close Out Colorado Cup Against CSU"},"content":{"rendered":"

DENVER \u2013 Heidi Crncan<\/a> and Yukiko Ikedo<\/a> picked up straight-set singles wins and Pia Rebec<\/a> and Louise Ternstroem<\/a> survived a tiebreaker in doubles as the Colorado women’s tennis team closed out the Colorado Cup with a hidden dual against in-state rival Colorado State on Sunday at the Denver Tennis Park.<\/p>\n

“Every time we compete, we want to win, but for us it’s not so much what you do, it’s how you do it,” CU Head Coach Anthony Pham<\/a> said. “There are still too many times where we lose focus and lack clarity on what we should be doing. Today we had some good moments and some not-so-good moments, and it’s just something we have to keep building. Every match we play, that has to be at the forefront of our mind so we keep getting better.”<\/p>\n

The Buffaloes went 2-2 in singles. Crncan ran away with the second set in a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2, and Ikedo never trailed in the opening set of a 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 3. Ternstroem dropped a tight 7-5, 6-3 decision at No. 1, where the two players were never separated by more than a game in the first set, and Willow Gretsch<\/a> fell 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4.<\/p>\n

“Heidi had a very good weekend,” Pham said. “She’s someone who processes information really quickly, and she’s gotten a ton better. We’re proud of her growth and development, and this weekend was a good step forward for her.”<\/p>\n

Rebec and Ternstroem delivered the doubles highlight of the day at the No. 1 spot, surviving a 7-6 (5) decision over sisters Logan and Dylan Voeks after squandering a 3-0 lead, falling behind 6-5 and then forcing a tiebreaker with a love hold from Ternstroem. At No. 2, Gretsch and Crncan dropped a 6-3 decision to Diana Lizarazo and Leyla Tozin.<\/p>\n

“You have to keep being a little uncomfortable when you’re playing in order to get better,” Pham said. “There were some things we did today that, as coaches, we looked at and said, ‘Yeah, that’s good.’ Even if you’re missing some balls, if you’re doing the right things, you’re going to get better. It’s just understanding that and keeping it at the forefront of our mind. There are obviously a lot of things we have to keep addressing in practice.”<\/p>\n

Colorado’s three-day stay at the tournament, hosted by the University of Denver, opened Friday against Montana State and continued Saturday against the host Pioneers. With no team scoring in the hidden-dual format, each match counted only toward individual records.<\/p>\n

HOW IT HAPPENED<\/p>\n

Play got underway around 12:30 p.m. following the conclusion of the Denver-Montana State hidden dual.<\/p>\n

At No. 1 doubles, Rebec and Ternstroem came out of the gate quickly, breaking the Voeks sisters twice and getting a love hold from Rebec to build a 3-0 lead. The Rams answered with four straight games to flip the match. Ternstroem was broken at deuce, Rebec’s service game slipped away on a pair of double faults, and at 3-3 the Buffs held a 40-15 edge before CSU pulled the game out to take a 4-3 lead.<\/p>\n

Ternstroem stopped the slide with a hold at deuce to level the match at 4-4. CSU held for 5-4 and Rebec answered with a hold at 15 to make it 5-5. Colorado then built a 40-15 lead on the Rams’ serve with a chance to serve for the match, but CSU rallied through deuce to move ahead 6-5.<\/p>\n

Serving to stay in the match, Ternstroem produced her best game of the afternoon, opening with a service winner and later firing an ace in a love hold that forced the tiebreaker.<\/p>\n

The Buffs jumped ahead 2-0 in the breaker before CSU rallied to take a 5-4 lead behind a pair of aces. Rebec then stepped to the line and hit two straight service winners to put CU up 6-5, and the Buffaloes closed it out 7-5 with a well-played rally on the match’s final point.<\/p>\n

At No. 2, CSU held in the opening game, Crncan held to square it at 1-1, and Colorado broke Lizarazo and Tozin to take a 2-1 lead. That break turned out to be the first of four consecutive service breaks, leaving the match tied 3-3. The Rams finally stopped the run of breaks with a hold for 4-3, and Gretsch pushed her next service game to deuce before CSU converted the break for 5-3 and served out the 6-3 win.<\/p>\n

Gretsch’s No. 4 singles match against Logan Voeks was the first to finish. She fell behind 3-0 in the opening set before settling in and holding serve the rest of the way in a 6-3 loss. The second set followed a similar script: Gretsch trailed 2-1 before a break put Voeks ahead 4-1, and the Rams senior closed out the 6-2 win.<\/p>\n

Crncan was next off the court at No. 2. After she and Lizarazo traded holds to open the match, Crncan trailed 2-1 before reeling off four straight games with a pair of breaks to take a 5-2 lead. Lizarazo got one break back and held to pull within 5-4, but Crncan closed out the set 6-4. The second set was never in doubt, as Crncan jumped out to a 3-0 lead and rolled to a 6-1 finish.<\/p>\n

At No. 3, Ikedo grabbed an early break against Dylan Voeks and protected it the rest of the way, never trailing in a 6-4 first set. She led 2-1 in the second before breaking and consolidating for a 4-1 advantage. Voeks got the break back to make it 4-3, but Ikedo steadied and closed out the match 6-4.<\/p>\n

Ternstroem’s match against Tozin at No. 1 was the last to finish and the tightest of the four. After dropping the opening game, she used a break and a hold to move ahead 2-1, only to be broken right back as Tozin moved in front 3-2. From there the two were never separated by more than a game, with Tozin leading 4-3, 5-4 and 6-5 before converting the set 7-5. She again took 1-0 and 2-1 leads in the second set and broke Ternstroem for a 4-1 advantage. Ternstroem held serve the rest of the way but could not get the break back, falling 6-3.<\/p>\n

UP NEXT<\/p>\n

Most of the Buffs will wrap up the fall season at the SDSU Invite in San Diego, Nov. 6-8. Ema Bubalo<\/a> and Lera Alexin<\/a> have qualified as a doubles team for the NCAA Individual Championships, Nov. 17-22 in Athens, Ga.<\/p>\n

RESULTS<\/p>\n

Singles<\/p>\n

Leyla Tozin (CSU) def. Louise Ternstroem<\/a> (CU) 7-5, 6-3

\nHeidi Crncan<\/a> (CU) def. Diana Lizarazo (CSU) 6-4, 6-1

\nYukiko Ikedo<\/a> (CU) def. Dylan Voeks (CSU) 6-4, 6-4

\nLogan Voeks (CSU) def. Willow Gretsch<\/a> (CU) 6-3, 6-2<\/p>\n

Doubles<\/p>\n

Pia Rebec<\/a>\/Louise Ternstroem<\/a> (CU) def. Logan Voeks\/Dylan Voeks (CSU) 7-6 (5)

\nDiana Lizarazo\/Leyla Tozin (CSU) def. Willow Gretsch<\/a>\/Heidi Crncan<\/a> (CU) 6-3

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