Fresno State women’s tennis scored another impressive victory on the heels of their best win of the season, dominating UC Santa Barbara 6-1 at the Wathen Tennis Center on Thursday afternoon.
“This team [UCSB] is a very good team,” Fresno State head coach Ryan Stotland said. “And we didn’t give them a shot to beat us today. I feel very good about every match from here on out and I think we’re playing the level we want to see at this time.”
Indeed, the Gauchos came in with some heavy momentum after wins at home against Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara to get to a winning record at 5-4.
UCSB came out firing and jumped up in two of the three sets early, but the Bulldogs were able to stay poised and take the first two doubles sets.
The team of Sofya Malysheva and Tanya Murtagh was the first to win their set at 6-4. Murtagh found her confidence at the net and at one point took five shots in a row at net on a single point.
“I think that’s when it changed,” Murtagh said. “I think it was four all, it was a close game and so we got that point and just carried momentum on from there. I like being at the net and I think I’ve got good hands so, it’s a good part of my game.”
The team of Maiar and Rana Sherif Ahmed secured the doubles point with a 6-2 victory that featured their aggressive play style consistently.
The Gauchos drew first blood in singles play, as Sofya Malysheva didn’t fare as well in singles, losing 1-6, 3-6. That, however, was the last point they’d earn in the match.
Not a single match went to three sets, as the Bulldogs quickly built their lead with wins by Anneka Watts on Court 5 and Maiar Sherif Ahmed on Court 2.
Senior Anne Susdorf looked poised to capture the clinching point for Fresno State’s win, as she won an apparent 40-30 point up five sets to two.
Her opponent didn’t agree, and the judge, who wasn’t present for the point in discussion, had the two replay the point.
“Unfortunately for me, we had to play that deuce point and I lost that point,” Susdorf said. “Then I came back in that next game and tried to get it back as soon as I could. It was a good match, well fought by her but I just felt like I came out with fire, with energy and I was willing to do anything to get the job done for my team.”
Because of the delay, Rana Sherif Ahmed was able to clinch the match for the Bulldogs with her own 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Despite the match being well-decided, the play on Court 1 continued into the night as Sophie Watts ground out a 7-6, 7-6 win to put an exclamation point on the impressive victory.
Holding a 9-3 record, the Bulldogs head to Fig Garden for a home match against Sacramento State Sunday at 2 p.m.