For the third time in four weeks, unfavorable weather has caused a disruption in the UCSD women’s tennis schedule. Nonetheless, the ninth-ranked Tritons took care of business once again, shrugging aside their fourth rained-out match of the season to post two more victories onto their record, which now stands at 7-0. No team in the California Collegiate Athletic Association has won more than a single frame against the perfect 4-0 UCSD.
Clutch win:
The Triton women traveled to Rohnert Park, Calif., on March 5 for their second match of the season against Sonoma State. The Tritons took the first match, 8-1, on Feb. 25 at home. The change in venue did nothing to spare the fate of the outmatched Seawolves, who were blanketed by the UCSD women, 9-0.
“This was the first match all season that we’ve actually been able to have our full lineup playing,” said head coach Liz LaPlante, who has had to deal with injuries on the team all season long. “We’re still not at 100 percent, but hopefully we’ll heal up during finals week.”
The team has a long schedule ahead that will allow athletes time to recuperate from their injuries.
“We still have a while until we peak,” sophomore Kristin Bronowicki said. “Especially since we have had to deal with injuries, it’s taking a while for people to get off the ground.”
The Tritons enjoyed early success in doubles play and, for the fourth straight match, swept all three doubles matchups to take an early 3-0 lead entering singles play.
Reeling off six straight wins, No. 1 tandem junior Tara Siddiqui and sophomore Marsha Malinow came back from a 2-5 deficit to win, 8-5. No. 2 Bronowicki and Katie McKee won, 8-3, and senior Jasmin Dao, in her first action after returning from an ankle injury, teamed up with junior Marissa Hilker to take the No. 3 matchup at 8-1.
In singles play, the Tritons continued their dominance. Malinow avenged her previous loss to the Seawolves’ Brianna Bailey in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, at the top spot on the ladder to set the tone, and the rest of the Tritons followed suit. Hilker took down Sonoma State’s Gina Dunch in the No. 2 singles match, 7-5, 3-6, 10-6, in the only three-set match of the day.
Dao (6-2, 6-1), Siddiqui (6-2, 6-2), junior Leigh Roberts (6-2, 6-1) and McKee (6-2, 6-1) all eased past their opponents in straight sets as well.
On March 4, a much-anticipated match between the Tritons and the San Jose State Spartans was canceled due to rain in San Jose, Calif. This was to be UCSD’s second match of the season against a Division I opponent. (The Tritons squeaked by UC Davis earlier this season, 5-4, at home.) Since the Tritons have already had three matches rained out this season — all of which were against league opponents and must be made up — the match against the Spartans will not be rescheduled.
“We were disappointed [about the match being canceled] because we wanted to see how far we could go,” Bronowicki said. “We are beating who we should, but it’s nice to get competitive matches. We have some tough teams coming up in the next couple of weeks.”
The weather was cooperative on March 2, as UCSD hosted conference rival Cal Poly Pomona at the Northview Courts. Doubles play gave the Tritons a large boost off the bat, taking all three matches to give them an early 3-0 lead. Siddiqui and Malinow finished with an impressive 8-5 upset over Broncos’ junior Dehlia Feliz and sophomore Katrina Holmberg, the No. 6 doubles squad in the country. UCSD’s other two doubles squads also won by super set scores of 8-5, with Bronowicki and McKee winning at the No. 2 spot and Hilker and Roberts winning at the No. 3 spot.
Singles play featured more of the same, with the Tritons winning five of the six spots to clinch the match victory, 8-1.
The No. 1 matchup pitted nationally ranked players Malinow and Feliz against one another. Malinow, currently ranked No. 44 in the nation, took the first set from No. 19 Feliz, 7-5, but could not hang on long, dropping the second set, 7-5, and falling, 10-3, in the third-set, a super tiebreaker. Nonetheless, UCSD players posted victories at every other spot on the ladder to clinch the victory.
In addition to doubles play, the bottom of the singles ladder has been a strong source of success for the Tritons this season. In fact, UCSD players at the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots have not lost matches all season, and are a combined 21-0.
“The strength of the team has always been depth,” LaPlante said. “While we don’t have the powerhouse players that some of these other schools have at No. 1 and No. 2, our top eight players are really close in ability, so we have highly skilled players providing solid, consistent play all the way down the ladder.”
Up next for the Tritons is a test in stamina, with three matches scheduled for three consecutive days. All will be played at home, first against the University of San Francisco on March 10, Cal State San Bernardino on March 11 and Cal State Bakersfield on March 12.
The matchup against the University of San Francisco gives the Tritons another chance to test themselves against a Division I program. Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Bakersfield are conference opponents.
