Aggies tennis swept by Weber State
Despite losing 8-2, the No. 1 doubles team of Sarah Lowe and Amy Thatcher played a close match against Weber State University.
“The score wasn’t indicative of how close the match really was,” said assistant coach Jevin West.
Lowe and Thatcher lost to Weber’s Lenka Zacharova and Kim Sen. Though the match was close early on, with the Aggies behind only 3-2, Weber won 5 straight games to take the match.
In the sixth game, trailing 3-2, Lowe and Thatcher went up 40-30, and later in the game were at game point, but WSU was able to come back and win the game.
After losing two more games, Lowe and Thatcher made a strong come back in game nine, but once again Weber was able to comeback. After 6 deuces, the Wildcats once again were able to come out with the game.
“Weber State won the big points. When it was a break point or a game point, they ended up winning it,” West said.
Weber is one of the tougher teams USU plays, West said. Weber’s Zacharova is a nationally ranked player, having won the Rolex Tournament last fall.
This season, Utah State has been trying to find a winning combination for No 1. doubles. They have used three different pairings this spring, and though Lowe and Thatcher have played together the most at No. 1, Thatcher has been trying to recover from a sprained ankle, which she sustained in practice a couple of weeks ago.
Thatcher has not been playing singles but has been playing doubles while trying to recover from her injury.
“We want her in the lineup. She’s probably one of our best No. 1 doubles players,” West said.
Chemistry is an important consideration for the pairing of doubles players, West said. Both Lowe and Thatcher are juniors and are both friends and roommates, West said.
Chemistry has an effect because the players know how each other plays and it allows them to anticipate where each other is on the court. It is definitely a consideration in making the pairings, West said.
WSU 7, USU 0
Singles
#1 — Lenka Zacharova (WSU) def. Sarah Lowe, 6-0, 6-2
#2 — Kim Sen (WSU) def. Jocee Mason, 6-0, 6-2
#3 — Therina Steenkamp (WSU) def. Richelle Ferguson, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
#4 — Dana DeLancey (WSU) def. Tracy Bertagna, 6-0, 4-1 (default)
#5 — Briana Beachene (WSU) def. Johanna Johnson, 6-4, 7-6
#6 — Veronica Reynosa (WSU) def. Amelia Martinez, 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
#1 — Zacharova-Sen (WSU) def. Lowe-Amy Thatcher, 8-2
#2 — Steenkamp-Claudia Oropeza (WSU) def. Mason-Ferguson, 8-5
#3 — DeLancey-Reynosa (WSU) def. Bertagna-Johnson, 8-4