College Tennis News - Women of Troy Line Up for Title Matches

The USC women's tennis team has flexed some early-season muscle in powering to three different title matches in two separate individual tournaments this weekend, along with a semifinal slot. Split between the Freeman Memorial in Las Vegas, Nev., and the National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Palm Springs, Calif., the Women of Troy are off to a strong start. Tomorrow (Jan. 20), USC's Sabrina Santamaria and Giuliana Olmos will play for singles titles at the respective tournaments, while Zoë Scandalis and Gabriella DeSimone are teamed up for a doubles title match at the NCTC. USC's top-ranked doubles duo of Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria and the #40 pair of seniors Danielle Lao and Valeria Pulido, meanwhile, are in opposite semis at the Freeman Memorial tomorrow.

Aside from the semifinal wins by the trio of finalists, today's action was also highlighted by a strong performance by USC senior Danielle Lao, ranked #14 in the nation, against UNC's #11 Gina Suarez-Malaguti. Lao put up a strong fight in a 7-6, 6-4 loss at the Freeman Memorial. If tomorrow's doubles semifinals at the Freeman go well for the Trojans, it could be an all-USC doubles final between Trojan pairs Christian/Santamaria and Lao/Pulido.

Over in Palm Springs at the NCTC, USC's Giuliana Olmos continues her winning start to her first season of Trojan competition. She's beaten two Bruins and one Cardinal in her run to tomorrow's singles final against UCLA's #6 Robin Anderson, who beat USC's DeSimone in today's semifinals. On the doubles side, Olmos and freshman teammate Ellie Yates fell in the semis to Bruin pair Anderson/Morton, who now go up against Trojan pair DeSimone/Scandalis in Sunday's doubles title match.

Complete results from both tournaments are below.

Freeman Memorial Tennis Championships (Las Vegas, Nev.)

SINGLES
First Round - Jan. 18
#14 [3] Danielle Lao (USC) - bye
#17 [4] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) - bye
Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Janine Erasmus (UNLV) - 6-3, 6-1
#21 [5] Whitney Kay (UNC) def. Valeria Pulido (USC) - 6-4, 6-2

Round of 16 - Jan. 18
#14 [3] Danielle Lao (USC) def. #111 Lauren McHale (UNC) - 6-1, 6-1
#17 [4] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Kate Vialle (UNC) - 6-2, 6-0
#11 [2] Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC) def. Kaitlyn Christian (USC) - 6-2, 6-0

Quarterfinals - Jan. 19
#14 [3] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Chanelle Van Nguyen (UCLA) - 6-4, 6-3
#17 [4] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #55 Ellen Tsay (STAN) - 6-7, 6-2, 6-4

Semifinals - Jan. 19
#11 [2] Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC) def. #14 [3] Danielle Lao (USC) - 7-6, 6-4
#17 [4] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def #2 [1] Krista Hardebeck (STAN) - 6-0, 6-2

Championship - Jan. 20
#17 [4] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) vs. #11 [2] Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC)

CONSOLATION SINGLES
Courtney Dolehide (UCLA) def. Valeria Pulido (USC) - 6-1, 6-0
Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Laura Slater (UNC) - 6-1, 6-0
Iren Kotseva (UNLV) def. Valeria Pulido (USC) - 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6)

DOUBLES
Round of 16 - Jan. 18
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Erasmus/Ferenczi-Bako (UNLV) - 8-0
#40 [4] Lao/Pulido (USC) def. Slater/Vialle (UNC) - 8-7

Quarterfinals - Jan. 19
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Lyons/McHale (UNC) - 8-6
#40 [4] Lao/Pulido (USC) def. Collins/Janowicz (FLA) - 8-7

Semifinals - Jan. 20
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) vs. Dolehide/Montez (UCLA)
#40 [4] Lao/Pulido (USC) vs. [2] Dai/Kay (UNC)

National Collegiate Tennis Classic (Palm Springs, Calif.)

SINGLES
First Round - Jan. 18
Ellie Yates (USC) - bye
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) - bye
Giuliana Olmos (USC) - bye
#19 Zoë Scandalis (USC) - bye

Round of 16 - Jan. 18
Ellie Yates (USC) def. Danielle Peneridis (PEP) - 6-1, 6-2
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Amelia Herring (STAN) - 6-2, 6-2
Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. Lindsey Kostas (STAN) - 6-0, 4-2 ret.
#19 Zoë Scandalis (USC) - bye

Quarterfinals - Jan. 18
#6 Robin Anderson (UCLA) def. Ellie Yates (USC) - 6-2, 6-1
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Kristie Ahn (STAN) - 6-4, 6-3
Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #38 Kaitlyn Ray (UCLA) - 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Catherine Harrison (UCLA) def. #19 Zoë Scandalis (USC) - 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

Semifinals - Jan. 19
#6 Robin Anderson (UCLA) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) - 6-4, 6-1
Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. Catherine Harrison (UCLA) - 6-3, 6-2

Championship - Jan. 20
Giuliana Olmos (USC) vs. #6 Robin Anderson (UCLA)

DOUBLES
Round of 16 - Jan. 18
#13 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) - bye
Olmos/Yates (USC) - bye

Quarterfinals - Jan. 18
#13 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) - bye
Olmos/Yates (USC) def. Capannolo/Feneridis (PEP) - 8-4

Semifinals - Jan. 19
#13 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. Harrison/Ray (UCLA) - 8-6
Anderson/Morton (UCLA) def. Olmos/Yates (USC) - 8-4

Championship - Jan. 20
#13 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) vs. Anderson/Morton (UCLA)