Aggies dominate Bengals on Senior Day
The Utah State women’s tennis team took its home court for the final time this season against the Idaho State University Bengals. Returning to Logan after tough weekend action in Hawaii, the Aggies rebounded to sweep ISU 7-0.
“(It) felt great to get the win,” assistant coach Bryan Marchant said. “We could have come out tired, but we dominated doubles and got off to a good start in singles. It definitely helps to win 7-0. It’s a big confidence booster for us.”
USU took the doubles point, winning all three pro-sets in convincing fashion, as the Aggies held ISU to three games total.
Junior Jaci West and freshman McKenzie Davis overpowered Katharina Marsela and Laura Porras at No. 1 doubles position. The duo jumped ahead early to shut the Bengals out. Davis wrapped up the doubles match win with an ace in the corner to defeat ISU 8-0.
“We have been playing really good doubles lately. It has been fun,” West said. “Davis is a good doubles player, and we work well together. It is always fun to go out there and get work done.”
Senior Romina Nedakovic and junior Kristina Voytsekovich dominated Rilee Moorhead and Marian Tangarife at the No. 2 doubles spot, dismissing the Bengals 8-2.
Junior Julie Tukuafu and senior Brianna Harris rolled through Zamira Vasquez and Rachel Ryan in the No. 3 doubles position. The Aggies only allowed the Bengals to win one game, taking the match 8-1.
USU capitalized on the early lead and continued to dominate the court.
Davis defeated Marsela in straight sets in the No. 1 singles position. The freshman delivered winners off both forehand and backhand sides to drop Marsela 6-1, 6-0.
West battled three sets to defeat Porras in the No. 2 singles spot. After taking the first set 6-3, West could not hold the Bengal back in the second. West and Porras traded a variety of shots during the long rallies throughout the match.
West dictated play with her forehand, attempting to push the Bengal deep behind the baseline. The second set went into a tiebreaker after West held serve to get to six all. Porras won the second set tiebreaker sending the match into a decisive third set super tiebreaker to 10 points.
“She played some bold points, she got down and hit a couple big returns to get some momentum,” Wright said. “I thought she played well in the super tiebreaker. She was solid.”
The junior pulled the tiebreaker out, narrowly winning the match 6-3, 6-7, 11-9.
“I was thinking, ‘Don’t lose, cause that would suck,'” West said. “I knew I was going to win so I was confident, but my feet weren’t moving and I was just lacking focus. I just had a mental lapse, but I finished strong so I was happy with that.”
Voytsekovich dismissed Tangarife at the No. 3 singles position 6-3, 6-1 and Nedakovic notched her final home match win defeating Moorhead at No. 4 singles position 6-4, 6-1.
Senior Monica Abella took to the courts for her final game at home against Vasquez in the No. 5 singles spot.
“I was pretty scared because we have been playing at sea level last week, and we didn’t practice yesterday. So we were all pretty scared about playing,” Abella said. “We knew we needed to beat this team, and we have to put everything out there.”
Abella took the first set easily but struggled to close out the second set after getting up 5-3. The Mexico native failed to convert several match points, but an errant forehand by Vasquez sent the ball wide and handed the match to the senior.
The 6-1, 6-3 win was bittersweet for Abella, who has played all four years of her collegiate career at USU.
“I played her at the beginning of the season, and it was a super close match,” Abella said. “I need to get it done and take the lead, so I came onto the court wanting to kill it. In the end too many thoughts about closing it, but I pulled it out.”
Tukuafu completed the sweep with a win over Ryan in the No. 6 singles position. The junior dismissed her opponent in straight sets, winning 6-0, 6-2.
“Idaho State has some talented singles players,” Marchant said. “In a couple of matches we tended to overplay and think too much, we just needed to be more patient and we started to play better. There is always going to bumps in the road, that’s just how tennis is as long as you fight through them.”
The Aggies improve to 9-9 on the season with just one match left before the Western Athletic Conference finals in Las Cruces, New Mexico. For their final match USU will travel to Reno to take on University of Nevada Wolf Pack on April 21.
“I’m excited for next week. It’s the one team I really, really want to beat,” Abella said.
– mega.bodi@aggiemail.usu.edu