April 9, 2010
LAS VEGAS - The San Diego State women's tennis team made its second of three scheduled trips to Las Vegas and snapped a four-match losing streak on Friday by upsetting No. 73 TCU, 4-3, at Fertitta Tennis Complex. The victory brings the Aztecs' record to 8-9 (1-3 Mountain West Conference), while the Horned Frogs fall to 6-13 and suffer their first MWC loss, which puts them at 3-1 in league play.
The teams opened the match with doubles action and SDSU started on the right note when Julia Trunk and Julia Wais defeated Nina Munch-Soegaard and Maria Babanova, 8-4, at the second position. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, they could not overcome their TCU counterparts at Nos. 1 and 3 and as a result, the Frogs took a 1-0 lead into singles.
San Diego State's 1-0 deficit soon doubled when Emma Cioffi fell to Gaby Mastromarino in straight sets at No. 6. The Aztecs finally dented the scoreboard when Sierra Ellison improved to 8-3 at the fifth spot with her 7-5, 6-4 win over Babanova. But just as SDSU started its comeback, TCU responded with a victory at No. 3 to come within one team point of the win.
Facing the daunting task of winning the remaining three matches to claim the decision, San Diego State buckled down starting with 50th-ranked Trunk. The junior, who has played at No. 1 all season, defeated No. 63 Munch-Soegaard, 6-2, 7-5, to record her team-leading third victory over a nationally ranked opponent.
Trailing 3-2 with two matches still in progress, SDSU's Roxanne Ellison stopped a personal four-match losing skid and emerged with a match-tying 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 triumph over Idunn Hertzberg at No. 4.
With all eyes pointed at Court No. 2, No. 78 Alicia Aguilar and 90th-ranked Kayla Duncan were engaged in an epic match. Aguilar dropped the first set, 3-6, but rallied to take the second, 6-3, setting up a third and final set. In the deciding set, the freshman was able to pull through and record a hard-fought 7-6(2) win to complete the 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) victory.
In addition to snapping a season-long four-match losing streak, San Diego State stopped a four-match losing skid to TCU and logged its first win over the school since March 14, 2003. Coming into today's contest, the Horned Frogs were 4-0 against the Aztecs since the Fort Worth, Texas, school joined the MWC in 2006. The neutral-site victory is also SDSU's first away from Montezuma Mesa since a 5-2 win over Portland in Seattle, Wash., earlier this season on Feb. 6.
San Diego State's stay in Sin City will continue through tomorrow as the Aztecs take on New Mexico at 10 a.m. PT.
San Diego State 4, #73 TCU 3
Fertitta Tennis Complex (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Doubles
1. #40 Kayla Duncan/Katarina Tuohimaa (TCU) def. Sierra Ellison/Roxanne Ellison (SDSU), 8-6
2. Julia Trunk/Julia Wais (SDSU) def. Nina Munch-Soegaard/Maria Babanova (TCU), 8-4
3. Idunn Hertzberg/Gaby Mastromarino (TCU) def. Olivia Colman/Emma Coiffi (SDSU), 9-7
TCU wins doubles point.
Singles
1. #50 Julia Trunk (SDSU) def. #63 Nina Munch-Soegaard (TCU), 6-2, 7-5
2. #78 Alicia Aguilar (SDSU) def. #90 Kayla Duncan (TCU), 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
3. Katarina Tuohimaa (TCU) def. Julia Wais (SDSU), 6-4, 7-6
4. Roxanne Ellison (SDSU) def. Idunn Hertzberg (TCU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
5. Sierra Ellison (SDSU) def. Maria Babanova (TCU), 7-5, 6-4
6. Gaby Mastromarino (TCU) def. Emma Cioffi (SDSU), 6-2, 6-0
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2, 3, 1
Singles: 6, 5, 3, 1, 4, 2*
*Clinching match