Huskies On Short End Against Fourth-Ranked USC
Saturday, 03/31/2012
LOS ANGELES – The Husky women’s tennis team has handled itself well facing top competition without its best player, senior Denise Dy, but today being shorthanded seemed to catch up with the Huskies, as fourth-ranked USC posted a 7-0 win at Marks Stadium.
Washington had not been swept in a match this season until today. Injuries took a toll again on the Huskies, as senior Samantha Smith was forced to retire in the first set, one day after she posted an upset win at UCLA. Freshman Natalie Coronel, however, returned to the singles lineup for the first time since early February, but she fell at sixth singles, 6-3, 6-1, to Valeria Pulido.
The last match of the day had sophomore Andjela Nemcevic looking for an upset of 15th-ranked Zoe Scandalis at No. 1 singles, but Scandalis dodged a third set tiebreak with a 6-3, 6-4 win.
Freshman Julija Lukac had her three-match Pac-12 win streak snapped at fourth singles, falling 6-1, 6-1 to 76th-ranked Kaitlyn Christian. Freshman Capucine Gregoire fell short at third singles against 36th-ranked Sabrina Santamaria, 6-1, 6-3, and freshman Riko Shimizu lost by the same score at fifth singles to Gabriella DeSimone.
USC took the doubles point with wins at all three spots, though Nemcevic and Shimizu went to a tiebreak at third doubles against Danielle Lao and Alison Ramos, falling in the breaker, 8-6. Nemcevic and Shimizu were looking to go 2-0 in doubles this week.
Washington (6-9, 0-6 Pac-12) will return home looking to pick up its first conference wins next weekend against Colorado next Friday and Utah next Saturday.
Washington Women’s Tennis
Marks Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
March 31, 2012
No. 4 USC 7, No. 48 Washington 0
Doubles
1) (2) Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Gregoire/Smith (UW) -- 8-3
2) (52) Pulido/Scandalis (USC) def. Coronel/Lukac (UW) -- 8-3
3) Lao/Ramos (USC) def. Nemcevic/Shimizu (UW) -- 8-7 (6)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1) (15) Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. Andjela Nemcevic (UW) -- 6-3, 6-4
2) (22) Danielle Lao (USC) def. Samantha Smith (UW) -- 5-0 ret.
3) (36) Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Capucine Gregoire (UW) -- 6-1, 6-3
4) (76) Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Julija Lukac (UW) -- 6-1, 6-1
5) Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Riko Shimizu (UW) -- 6-1, 6-3
6) Valeria Pulido (USC) def. Natali Coronel (UW) -- 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1
