TUCSON, ARIZ. -- The No. 5 USC women's tennis team rounded up a road sweep and its 11th straight victory with a 6-1 win over host Arizona today in Tucson. Streaking out to her 19th consecutive singles win was today's clincher, #2 Sabrina Santamaria, who won her match at the top spot to secure victory for the Women of Troy. USC improves to 19-2 overall and stays perfect in Pac-12 play at 8-0 to stand as the conference's only undefeated team in the standings.

 

To kick off the day, USC's pairing of Lao/Santamaria at the No. 1 doubles spot gave the Trojans the early advantage with an 8-1 win over Arizona's Austin/Smyth. Over on court three, USC's Olmos/Yates locked the doubles point in the Trojans' scoring column with an 8-4 victory over McRann/Oldham to push the teams through to singles action.

 

At the No. 3 singles spot, USC's #70 Gabriella DeSimone was all business in her matchup with Laura Oldham, cruising to a 6-2, 6-0 win that made it a 2-0 Trojan advantage. Stepping into the No. 6 slot was USC senior Valeria Pulido, who overcame a tight first set with Inge Hendrikx and dominated in the second to win it 7-6, 6-1 to take USC ahead 3-0. That's when USC's #2 Sabrina Santamaria came through with the clincher, taking down #60 Lacey Smyth with a second-set tiebreaker as she made it 4-0 Trojans with her 6-3, 7-6 (3) decision that also notched the sophomore's 19th consecutive singles win.

 

The next Trojan to punch her way to victory was #116 Giuliana Olmos on a 7-5, 6-1 takedown of Akilah James on court four. Arizona would register its only point of the day when Shayne Austin managed to hold off USC freshman Ellie Yates and pull out a three-setter with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win for the Wildcats. There was one other three-setter underway, with USC's #27 Zoë Scandalis doing battle with Kim Stubbe on court two. Scandalis had surrendered the second set but was on the verge of victory in the third when Stubbe retired from the match with injury. The decision rounded out the match as a 6-1 Trojan victory.

 

The Women of Troy remain on the road next week with a Pac-12 trip to Oregon to face the Ducks at 12 p.m. next Sunday (April 14) in Eugene.

 

#5 USC 6, #74 Arizona 1

April 6, 2013 - Tucson, Ariz.
 

DOUBLES

(1) Lao/Santamaria (USC) def. Austin/Smyth (UA) - 8-1

(2) Stubbe/James (UA) vs. #30 DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) - 6-5 susp.

(3) Olmos/Yates (USC) def. Mc Rann/Oldham (UA) - 8-4

USC wins doubles point.

Order of finish: 1, 3
 

SINGLES

(1) #2 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #64 Lacey Smyth (UA) - 6-3, 7-6 (3)*

(2) #27 Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. Kim Stubbe (UA) - 6-2, 3-6, 5-2 ret.

(3) #70 Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Laura Oldham (UA) - 6-2, 6-0

(4) #116 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. Akilah James (UA) - 7-5, 6-1

(5) Shayne Austin (UA) def. Ellie Yates (USC) - 3-6, 6-4, 6-4

(6) Valeria Pulido (USC) def. Inge Hendrikx (UA) - 7-6, 6-1

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