Caves Seals Deal With Second Chance

Rams rally to post first conference victory

Mar. 28, 2026 at 2:37am

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In a thrilling match against San Jose State, Colorado State's Sorcha Caves overcame a 5-3 deficit in the final set to clinch a 4-3 victory for the Rams, their first Mountain West win of the season. Caves' resilience and determination were on full display as she fought back from a tiebreaker loss in the second set to secure the decisive point for her team.

Why it matters

The win was a significant milestone for the Colorado State women's tennis team, which had struggled to find success in conference play. Caves' gutsy performance not only earned the Rams their first league victory, but also showcased the team's perseverance and belief in themselves, even in the face of adversity.

The details

After dropping the doubles point, the Rams needed to win four singles matches to secure the victory. Diana Lizarazo got the team on the board with a straight-sets win at No. 4 singles, tying the match at 1-1. Annika Planinsek and Leyla Tozin then rallied from one-set deficits to put the Rams ahead 3-2. With the match on the line, Caves found herself down 5-3 in the final set against San Jose State's Emma Fantousis. However, Caves refused to give up, winning the next three games to force a tiebreaker. Despite Fantousis' comeback to force a third set, Caves ultimately prevailed 6-4, 6-7(11-13), 7-6(8-6) to clinch the victory for Colorado State.

  • The match took place on Friday, March 27, 2026 at the CSU Tennis Complex in Fort Collins, Colorado.
  • Caves' decisive victory came in the final match of the day, after the Rams had already dropped the doubles point.

The players

Sorcha Caves

A junior on the Colorado State women's tennis team who clinched the victory for the Rams with her come-from-behind win in the final singles match.

Emma Fantousis

The San Jose State player who faced off against Caves in the decisive singles match, forcing a third-set tiebreaker before ultimately falling to the Rams' junior.

Diana Lizarazo

A sophomore on the Colorado State team who earned a straight-sets victory at No. 4 singles to tie the match at 1-1.

Annika Planinsek

A Colorado State player who rallied from a one-set deficit to win at No. 2 singles and put the Rams ahead 3-2.

Leyla Tozin

Another Colorado State player who came back from a one-set deficit to win at No. 3 singles and contribute to the Rams' comeback victory.

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What they’re saying

“I never doubted I could win.”

— Sorcha Caves, Colorado State Junior

“I think about all the things that lead up to that. All the hard work, all the challenges and adversity that these girls face. But they just keep getting up and showing up and that was just the culmination of hard work and finally just really believing that she could do it.”

— Mai-Ly Tran, Colorado State Assistant Coach

“I've been kind of stressing the process and getting there, being patient with myself, giving myself a little bit of grace. I know that it's about time that it's gonna come back to me and I felt really good today.”

— Diana Lizarazo, Colorado State Sophomore

What’s next

The Rams will look to build on this momentum as they continue their Mountain West conference schedule, with their next match scheduled for April 3rd against Boise State.

The takeaway

Sorcha Caves' gutsy performance and the Rams' overall resilience in the face of adversity showcased the team's determination and belief in themselves, which will be crucial as they aim to turn their season around and secure more conference victories.