SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's tennis finished their first of five days of competition at the ITA Southwest Regionals Thursday. The Aztecs saw a total of five singles wins on the day.
In doubles play, all SDSU duos earned first-round byes and did not compete Thursday. The duos of sophomore Alicia Melosch and junior Nnena Nadozie, freshman Julia Jordan and junior Tamara Arnold, junior Abbie Mulbarger and senior Mia Smith, and freshman Cécile Morin and sophomore Agustina Rimoldi Godody all begin doubles action tomorrow in the doubles round of 32.
The singles round of 128 saw four Aztecs prevail over their competitors to advance in the championship bracket. Arnold kicked off play with a decisive 6-2, 6-0 victory over the University of Arizona's Talya Zandberg, while Melosch topped familiar foe Celina Buhr from GCU 6-4, 6-3. Morin followed suit with a statement 6-1, 6-0 defeat of UCSB's Lise Sentenac. In a three-set nail-biter, Nnena Nadozie topped LMU's Yesica De Lucas coming back from a loss in the first set to finish off the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Mulbarger faced a tough loss to UCLA's Taylor Johnson, dropping a 6-2, 6-2 decision. Rimoldi Godoy started her match out ahead, winning the first set, but was unable to hold off UC Riverside's Tia Elpusan, falling 5-7, 7-5, 6-0. Due to injury, Jordan did not complete her singles duel, retiring to GCU's Ludouica Infantino 3-2.
The round of 64 was not as friendly to the Aztecs, as Melosch, Nadozie, and Morin each dropped decisions and moved into the consolation bracket. Melosch battled with UCLA's Abbey Forbes, but could not top the Bruin, falling 6-0, 6-1. Nadozie fell to Pepperdine's Anatasia Iamachkine, 6-3, 6-4, while Morin's early hot start against the University of Hawai'i's Petra Melounova was not enough to top the Rainbow Warrior, falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Arnold is the lone Aztec to move onto tomorrow's singles round of 32 after snagging a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Hawai'i's Michelle Pits. She takes on LMU's Veronika Miroshnichenko tomorrow in hopes of securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
SDSU continues play tomorrow at the Southwest Regionals with doubles action starting at 9 A.M. with singles play scheduled to start directly after.
Results
Round of 128
Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Talya Zandberg (U of Arizona)- 6-2, 6-0
Taylor Johnson (UCLA) def. Abbie Mulbarger (SDSU)- 6-2, 6-2
Alicia Melosch (SDSU) def. Celina Buhr (GCU)- 6-4, 6-3
Ludouica Infantino (GCU) def. Julia Jordan (SDSU)- 3-2 RET
Nnena Nadozie (SDSU) def. Yesica De Lucas (LMU)- 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Tia Elpusan (UC Riverside) def. Agustina Rimoldi Godoy (SDSU)- 5-7, 7-5, 6-0
Cécile Morin (SDSU) def. Lise Sentenac (UCSB)- 6-0, 6-1
Round of 64
Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Michelle Pits (U Aof Hawai'i)- 6-3, 6-4
Abbey Forbes (UCLA) def. Alicia Melosch (SDSU)- 6-1, 6-0
Anatasia Iamachkine (Pepperdine) def. Nnena Nadozie (SDSU)- 6-3, 6-4
Petra Melounova (U of Hawai'i) def. Cécile Morin (SDSU)- 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
W. Tennis Concludes Day One of ITA Southwest Regionals
