LOS ANGELES, CALIF. -- The No. 6 USC women's tennis team served up some payback to No. 13 California, handing the last team to beat the Trojans an 6-1 loss today at Marks Stadium. The winning Women of Troy extended their win streak out to eight in a row with the victory, and improve to 16-2 overall with a perfect 5-0 mark in Pac-12 play.

 

The Women of Troy charged up for a strong stand in doubles, breaking open a tight start with a push to a sweep to pocket the first point of the day. #36 DeSimone/Scandalis lit the fuse with their 8-3 win over Duranteau/Fabikova on court two, and Lao/Olmos brought it home with an 8-5 win at the No. 3 spot. That left a battle raging on court one, but USC's #1 Christian/Santamaria were up to the challenge. They shoved aside #25 Chi/Schutting with an 8-6 win, and the Trojans were off to singles play with some solid momentum.

 

The wind in the Trojans' sailed carried five Women of Troy to wins in their first sets. On court one, #2 Sabrina Santamaria finished off #6 Annet Schutting with a 6-3, 6-1 decision almost before a couple of her teammates were through their first sets. Santamaria's win -- her 16th straight singles victory -- pushed USC ahead 2-0, with several Trojans also seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. At the No. 5 spot, it was #70 Gabriella DeSimone who rounded up the next point for the Trojans. She worked her way through Annie Goransson with a 6-4, 6-1 win, and USC was in striking distance up 3-0.

 

Over on court two, USC's #7 Danielle Lao dug herself out from down an early break in the second set and won the last five games of her match with #59 Lynn Chi to tally the clincher with a 6-4, 6-3 decision. At the No. 4 slot, #116 Giuliana Olmos fended off Tayler Davis and pinned up an overpowering 7-3 win in the second-set tiebreaker to claim a 6-2, 7-6 (3) victory and pin a fifth point on the board for the Women of Troy. Still forcing the issue on court three was USC's #27 Zoë Scandalis,. Her Cal opponent Klara Fabikova would have the last word in that one, however, following up a first-set tiebreak win with a push to victory in the second for a 7-6 (3), 7-5 win over Scandalis that registered a point for the Bears. Over on court six, Kaitlyn Christian had followed up a marathon tiebreaker in her first set with some solid play in the second. She'd run away with a 7-6 (9), 6-2 win over Alice Deuranteau, and USC had the 6-1 win in the books.

 

USC now turns to face No. 14 Stanford in another Pac-12 match. The Trojans will face the Cardinal at 12 p.m. on Saturday (March 30) at Marks Stadium.

 

#6 USC 6, #13 California 1

March 29, 2013 - Marks Stadium

 

DOUBLES

(1) #1 Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #25 Chi/Schutting (CAL) - 8-6

(2) #36 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. Duranteau/Fabikova (CAL) - 8-3

(3) Lao/Olmos (USC) def. Davis/Goransson (CAL) - 8-5

USC wins doubles point.

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1

 

SINGLES

 

(1) #2 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #6 Annet Schutting (CAL) - 6-3, 6-1

(2) #7 Danielle Lao (USC) def. #59 Lynn Chi (CAL) - 6-4, 6-3*

(3) #80 Klara Fabikova (CAL) def. #27 Zoë Scandalis (USC) - 7-6 (3), 7-5

(4) #116 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. Tayler Davis (CAL) - 6-2, 7-6 (3)

(5) #70 Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Annie Goransson (CAL) - 6-4, 6-1

(6) Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Alice Duranteau (CAL) - 7-6 (9), 6-2

 

Order of finish: 1, 5, 2*, 4, 3, 6