Mustangs edged on back-to-back days

The Cal Poly women’s tennis team endured an arduous past weekend – the Mustangs were defeated 4-3 by both Utah and Oregon.

“Both were good matches against competitive teams,” Cal Poly head coach Hugh Bream said. “These are teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament. We learned a lot in each match and about close matches on the road against top, quality teams.”

On Saturday, the Cal Poly doubles tandem of Brittany Blalock and Steffi Wong defeated the No. 67 Utes’ Elizabeth Ferris and Emily Kwok 8-6. It was the only doubles match the Mustangs won that day. Utah’s Leigh Walsh and Evgenia Kryuchkova defeated Shannon Brady and Amy Markhoff 8-4. Andrea Maughan and Erin Monson also recorded a victory on behalf of the Utes, defeating Maria Malec and Diane Filip 8-3.

“It was difficult in doubles,” Bream said. “If we had started a little quicker, we would’ve taken the doubles point.”

Wins were traded in singles as 68th-ranked Cal Poly fell and served defeat three times each.

Ferris edged Blalock 6-3, 7-6, and Kryuchkova defeated Wong 6-1, 6-4.

The Mustangs returned with Brady defeating Monson 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, but the Utes came back once more with Walsh topping Whitney Peterson 6-4, 6-0.

Bream stated that Peterson played the entirety of the match after suffering a hamstring injury in the first set, and was unable to play against No. 57 Oregon on Sunday.

Cal Poly finished the day with Filip triumphing over Maughan 6-1, 6-1, and Markhoff handing Karine Bourdages a 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 loss.

The Mustangs succeeded twice in doubles play against Oregon.

Blalock and Wong acquired their second win of the weekend with an 8-5 victory over the Ducks’ Ana Cecilia Olivos and Celine Rolly. Markhoff and Brady were victorious against Siobhan Cavan and Anna Powaska, 8-5.

The Ducks’ Carmen Seremeta and Stephanie McFarlane managed to secure an 8-5 win over Filip and Malec.

In singles action, Cal Poly fell in four out of six matches. Rolly defeated Blalock 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, while Seremeta won narrowly over Wong, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.

Powaska overcame Brady 6-2, 6-1, and McFarlane overtook Malec 6-0, 6-0.

Later, Filip overwhelmed Cavan 6-2, 6-0, and Markhoff outdid Mimi Songsermsawas 6-1, 6-2.

The Mustangs now await their first Big West Conference match of the season at No. 36 UC Irvine on Feb. 9. They will visit Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 10.

“(We’re working on) staying focused in the close matches,” Bream said, “and playing the big points well, staying positive with our emotions, and playing each match how we want to play it and not getting caught up in the moment – and overall, executing well.”