March 16, 2014
San Jose, Calif.----- San Jose State University women's tennis player Jessica Willett escaped 11 match points in her singles match against Dartmouth's Suzy Tan and came away with a three-set win giving the Spartans a split of two non-conference matches.
San Jose State (8-10) defeated Dartmouth (3-3), 4-2, after losing its opening match of the day, 4-0, to #19-Tulsa at the Spartan Tennis Complex.
"It's a nice split. We played two really, really good teams we have not met before. Tulsa was a very strong team, a top-20 team. That match showed us what we need to do get better. I felt like both matches were very competitive," said San Jose State head coach Sylvain Malroux.
"Our girls fight really, really well all the time. The proof is Jessica came back from saving 11 match points to win her match and clinch it today. It's incredible what she did."
Willett was a winner in doubles, first, with teammate Julianna Bacelar in the #2-position over Dartmouth's Melissa Matsuoka and Akido Okuda, 8-7. Then in the #5-singles match, she and Tan split their first two sets, 6-2, 0-6, before Willett outlasted Tan in the final set, 6-4, giving San Jose State its third singles win and the decisive point in the match.
"It's always great to clinch the match. The pressure was high, so it was cool to overcome that. I had to take the positives from that and learn from things that weren't working and focus on things moving forward and take things moment by moment," said Willett, who had lost in singles and doubles to Tulsa earlier in the day.
Gaelle Rey and Sabastiani Leon Chao, at #2 and #3, respectively, won in straight sets for the Spartans' two other singles wins against Dartmouth. San Jose State took a 1-0 lead into singles action with the doubles pairs of Willett and Bacelar and Rey and Marie Klocker teaming up for victories in the best-of-three format.
Rey and Klocker won both of their doubles matches on the day. The freshmen pair also defeated Tulsa's Maria Sant'Anna & Rongrong Leenabanchong, 8-2, in the Spartans' only win in the 4-0 loss to the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa (11-3) is the sixth nationally-ranked San Jose State dual match opponent this season.
The Spartans return to action, Wednesday, March 19, against UT Arlington in a 1:00 p.m. home match. The March 18 home dual match with Wisconsin is cancelled.
San Jose State University Women's Tennis
Spartan Tennis Complex, San Jose, Calif.
March 16, 2014
Match 2
San Jose State 4, Dartmouth 2
Doubles
Gaelle Rey & Marie Klocker (SJSU) def. Taylor Ng & Katherine Yau (DC), 8-4.
Julianna Bacelar & Jessica Willett (SJSU) def. Melissa Matsouka & Akiko Okuda (DC), 8-7.
Suzy Tan & Julienne Keong Si Ying (DC) def. Sabastiani Leon Chao & Tipper Truong (SJSU), 8-4.
Singles
Marie Klocker (SJSU) & Katherine Yau (DC), 6-4, 6-7 (7-1), unfinished
Gaelle Rey (SJSU) def. Taylor Ng (DC), 7-6, 6-0
Sabastiani Leon Chao (SJSU) def. Melissa Matsouka (DC), 6-2, 6-0
Akiko Okuda (DC) def. Julianna Bacelar (SJSU), 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Jessica Willett (SJSU) def. Suzy Tan (DC), 6-2, 0-6, 7-5
Sarah Bessen (DC) def. Justine Deleval (SJSU), 7-6, 6-2
Records:
San Jose State - 8-10
Dartmouth - 3-3
Match 1
#19-Tulsa 4, San Jose State 0
Doubles Gaelle Rey & Marie Klocker (SJSU) def. Maria Sant'Anna & Rongrong Leenabanchong (TU), 8-2.
Renata Kuricova & Marcelina Cichon (TU) def. Julianna Bacelar & Jessica Willett (SJSU), 8-4.
Samantha Vickers & Saana Saarteinen (TU) def. Sabastiani Leon Chao & Justine Deleval (SJSU), 8-1.
Singles
Samantha Vickers (TU) def. Marie Klocker (SJSU) 6-0, 6-1
Gaelle Rey (SJSU) & Isaura Enrique (TU), 6-4, 2-3, unfinished
Sabastiani Leon Chao (SJSU) & Yelena Nemchen (TU), 6-7, unfinished
Julianna Bacelar (SJSU) & Renata Kuricova (TU), 2-6, 3-4, unfinished
Rongrong Leenabanchong (TU) def. Jessica Willett (SJSU), 6-2, 6-3
Marcelina Cichon (TU) def. Tipper Truong (SJSU), 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles - 1,3,2; Singles, 1, 6, 5
Records:
#19-Tulsa - 12-3
San Jose State - 7-10