Baylor women’s tennis left the ITA All-American Championships with one of its best runs coming from the doubles side, where Zuzanna Kubacha and Kenna Erickson pushed all the way to the quarterfinals in Cary, N.C. The Bears finished the week 6-5 overall.
Kubacha was Baylor’s steadiest player in singles, opening the main draw with a clean 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 3 seed Piper Charney of Michigan. She kept rolling in the round of 32, outlasting Mao Mushika of Cal 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 before running into No. 16 seed Rose Marie Nijkamp of Texas and falling 7-5, 6-2 in the round of 16. She then regrouped in consolation play and beat Margot Phanthala of Columbia 7-6 (2), 6-2 to close out a 3-1 singles week.
Erickson’s singles path was shorter, but she still picked up a win. She dropped her pre-qualifying match in the round of 256 to No. 21 seed Kenzie Nguyen of Columbia, 6-2, 6-3, then responded with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Mia Soso of Iowa in consolation play.
Alian Zack, the No. 17 seed, went 0-2 in singles. She was beaten by Bella Payne of Georgia 7-6 (0), 6-2 in the qualifying round of 64, then lost to Laura Brunkel of Oklahoma 6-3, 6-4 in the consolation round of 32.
The most consistent Baylor results came from Kubacha and Erickson as a pair. They opened doubles with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Naomi Xu and Mao Mushika of Cal in the round of 32, then handled Gloriana Nahum and Sara Shumate of Oklahoma 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16.
Their run ended in the quarterfinals against No. 6 seed Maddy Zampardo and Susanna Maltby of North Carolina, who won 6-3, 6-4. The Baylor duo finished 2-1 in doubles.
In Other News...
Baylor Fans Suddenly Have A Wild Dave Aranda Debate
Baylors coaching conversation has taken a sharp turn beyond the usual week-to-week questions, with Dave Arandas long-term future suddenly becoming a topic of real debate among fans. Aranda is under contract through the 2029 season, but the feeling around the program still hinges on performance, which is why any discussion of what comes next has started to pick up steam.
Lincoln Rileys name has now entered the chatter as a possible replacement if Baylor ever moved on from Aranda, even though there is no official connection between the sides. The USC coach also comes with a major buyout hurdle, which is why analysts have treated the idea as more of a high-end what-if than a clear path forward, but it is still the kind of speculation that can tell you how restless a fan base is getting. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Just Turned Baylor's QB Problem Into A Bigger Big 12 Story
Colorados quarterback situation took another turn during its game against Baylor, when Julian Lewis lost the starting job after two difficult performances and was replaced by Isaac Wilson in the middle of the matchup. Even with the change, Deion Sanders made a point of saying Lewis is still in the mix to reclaim the role, a reminder that the Buffaloes are treating this as a live competition rather than a permanent handoff.
For Baylor, it adds another layer to a Big 12 race already full of moving parts, because Colorado now has to settle on a starter before next weeks game against Texas Tech. Wilson is in the conversation, Lewis is still there, and Kaneal Sweetwyne gives Sanders another option, which means the Buffaloes are suddenly trying to sort out their most important position while the conference schedule keeps rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Gets A Needed Secondary Boost Ahead Of Arizona State
Baylors secondary got a timely lift this week as senior defensive back Micah Gifford is expected to be available for the matchup against Arizona State. Gifford left the Week 4 game against Colorado with a leg injury, but teammate Bo Onu said he should play, a welcome development for a defense that has been juggling injuries and recent returns in the back end.
Gifford had been off to a strong start before leaving that Colorado game, and his presence matters even more now with Baylor trying to steady a secondary that has had to piece things together. Against an Arizona State team that can test coverage in a hurry, getting an experienced defensive back back on the field gives the Bears a better chance to settle in and avoid another week of improvising on the fly. [Read more 🡒]