Ags beat WSU for second straight year
Now there is proof that last year’s victory over Weber State wasn’t a fluke.
For only the second time in the team’s 16-year history, the Aggies defeated the Wildcats on Thursday at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club in North Logan. USU won 5-2.
“Each of the matches we had to fight hard for the points,” said USU Head Coach Chris Wright. “They’re always going to be competitive matches. It’s a good rivalry.”
Starting the match, the Weber State duo of Alexandria Ilie and Maria Bublik was able to take No. 1 doubles over Caroline Pollock and Lindsey Bennion, holding off two break points at 3-3 and 6-6 for the 8-6 victory.
Bennion said both points were big for momentum, especially the point at 6-6.
“[Momentum] just kind of shifted on us all of the sudden,” she said. “We had our heads in it and we just kind of lost our focus at the very end.”
The other two doubles matches went much better for the Aggies. At No. 2, the Aggie tandem of Carolyn Larsen and Haley Hawkins improved to 2-0 with a 8-2 victory over Briana Beauchene and Elana Smit.
It was Hawkins’ first match back after missing the past two matches due to illness.
“It was so fun to be back playing doubles, especially with Carolyn,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better doubles partner. She’s awesome and so supportive.”
Hawkins said the support of her team really helped her in her comeback.
“The whole team, I’ve missed them and they were just so excited to have me back,” she said. “They just make me feel like I’m back at home with the girls. I guess when you take time off you realize how much you really do love and enjoy the sport.”
Wright said it was a big boost in doubles to have Hawkins back playing with Larsen.
“She did a great job. It’s good to have those two back together,” he said “They’re one of our strongest doubles combinations over the last couple of years.”
At No. 3 doubles Jill Smith and Andrea Hansen also picked up a victory, their third of the season, defeating Chelsee Drews and Karla Pretorius, 8-1.
“We didn’t play our best tennis in doubles, but we were a little more assertive than they were and we moved a little better,” Wright said. “We very easily could have gotten all three doubles, but I was very proud of the effort from all three.”
Going into singles, Pollock was able to rebound and defeat Ilie in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
“I’m very excited about my play,” Pollock said. “After not playing a match for awhile, I was wondering how I would compete, and I did the best I could have done and I’m very happy.”
It was a come from behind victory in No. 2 singles, but after losing the first set 6-2, Larsen rebounded, 6-1, 6-4, to defeat Bublik
At No. 3, Bennion was also able to capture the victory, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, over Beauchene.
The other Aggie victory came at No. 5, where Jill Smith defeated Drews, 6-2, 6-4.
In the No. 4 match, Shelly Ferguson picked up her first set, 6-0, but an injury she suffered to her back a couple of weeks ago began to bother her during the second set. She lost the final two sets, 6-2, 6-1, to Smit.
The final match was also picked up by Weber, with Pretorius defeating Hansen, 6-2, 6-2.
With the victory, the Aggies improved to a perfect 2-0 at home and 2-2 overall. Weber dropped to 1-4.
Prior to the match, the Aggies were off for two weeks, last playing Feb. 5 at Idaho State.
“It gave us the time to practice what we need to practice and focus and get our momentum back,” Bennion said.
USU’s current situation is similar, as the team won’t play again until March 8.
The Aggies said they wished they had a match, though, so they could keep their momentum going.
“It would be nice to have another match, but that’s just kind of the way it works and we’re just going to kind of gear up for the matches that we do have in a couple of weeks,” Wright said.
Overall, Wright said he is happy with the team’s play, and expects it to continue to build on its early successes.
“I have a lot of faith in the team. I think that we can beat anybody,” he said. “We have a very legitimate chance, if we’re playing up to our potential, we could challenge for the [conference] championship.”
The Aggies will play their first conference matches of the season when they travel to California in two weeks to play Pacific, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly.
–slbk5@cc.usu.edu