San Jose, Calif.—The San José State women's tennis team continued their winning streak on Saturday but needed effort from everyone to defeat Saint Mary's 4-3 at the Spartan Tennis Complex and improve to 7-0 on the year.
The Spartans lost the doubles point, but Savannah Sendar and Tamara Culibrk were able to win at #1 doubles 7-5.
Needing four singles wins to keep the winning streak alive, San José State went down 2-0 after Alba Pedrero Galindo lost in straight sets to #17 Mariia Kozyreva 6-0, 6-4. Irena Muradyan then got the first Spartan point with a 6-2, 6-2, win at third spot. Lara Marco Mas won 7-5, 6-1 to tie the match at 2-2.
Saint Mary's took a 3-2 lead in a hard-fought match at the five position as Raquel Villan Pereira lost 7-6 (3), 6-4.
That left Sendar and Rozalina Youseva on the courts to capture the Spartan win. Sendar won in straight sets 7-6 (2) and 6-3 to tie the match at 3-3. Youseva, playing in the second position, was blanked in the first set 6-0, but fought back to win 6-4 and for a third set and won 6-3 to give San José State the win and keep the undefeated season.
"I think we came out slow in doubles and it showed. Having the seniors win at #1 was good, and they are going to get a lot more consistent," said Spartan head coach Chad Skorupka.
"Going into singles we were down and then got down early in many of the matches. The depth of this team showed again today. If someone is not playing well, someone is beside them picking it up and competing hard. We were down 3-2, and winning at #6 and at #2 was big for us."
This was the first win for the Spartans over the Gaels since April 8, 2003, when they won 4-3 in a match very similar to this one. The Spartans had lost six straight to the Gaels.
San José State continues at home next week with matches against Wyoming on Friday the 26th and Colorado State on Sunday the 28th. Both matches begin at noon at the Spartan Tennis Complex.
Saint Mary's vs San Jose State
03/20/2021 at San Jose, CA
(Spartan Tennis Complex)
San Jose State 4, Saint Mary's 3
Singles competition
1. Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. PEDRERO GALINDO, Alba (SJSU) 6-0, 6-4
2. YOUSEVA, Rozalina (SJSU) def. Jordan Harris (SMC) 0-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. MURADYAN, Irena (SJSU) def. Danielle McIntyre (SMC) 6-2, 6-2
4. MARCO MAS, Lara (SJSU) def. Gabriela Tevez (SMC) 7-5, 6-1
5. Jocelyn Massey (SMC) def. VILLAN PEREIRA, Raquel (SJSU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
6. SENDAR, Savannah (SJSU) def. Aubane Ville (SMC) 7-6 (7-2), 6-3
Doubles competition
1. SENDAR, Savannah/CULIBRK, Tamara (SJSU) def. Mariia Kozyreva/Danielle McIntyre (SMC) 7-5
2. Jocelyn Massey/Aubane Ville (SMC) def. PEDRERO GALINDO, Alba/MARCO MAS, Lara (SJSU) 6-0
3. Jordan Harris/Liesl Pieters (SMC) def. YOUSEVA, Rozalina/MURADYAN, Irena (SJSU) 7-5
Records:
Saint Mary's 2-4; San Jose State 7-0
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,3,4,5,6,2)
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