Lauren RabainoThe Cal Poly women’s tennis team won the third match of its seven-match home stand at Mustang Courts on Sunday, 5-2 over Pacific.
“I think we played really well today,” Mustangs head coach Hugh Bream said. “We came back very aggressively to win all three doubles matches.”
In singles play, the Mustangs won four of six match-ups. In the No. 1 slot, Cal Poly’s Brittany Blalock made quick work of Jolanta Twarowska, 6-2, 6-2. In the No. 4 position, Shannon Brady defeated Olga Gumenyuk 6-0, 1-6, 6-1. The Mustangs’ other singles victories came courtesy of Maria Malec, who edged Clara Schuhmacher 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 and Amy Markhoff, who swept Sasha Fisher 6-3, 6-1.
Blalock teamed with fellow sophomore Steffi Wong in doubles competition to vanquish Twarowska and Gumenyuk 8-5. Brady and Malec edged Svenja Arens and Fisher 8-7, (7-4) and Filip and Markhoff also won, 8-5 over Schuhmacher and Kateryna Nezhura.
Cal Poly, which doesn’t have a senior on its roster, has now won five of its past six outings.
“I think we’ve really improved a lot since last year,” Bream added. “We still have a young group. I feel like we’re starting to play better and better as this season progresses. . We’re getting some good momentum going.”
Last weekend, the Mustangs (7-6, 3-2 Big West Conference) swept UC Riverside 7-0 and routed San Jose State 6-1.
“I think we’re very capable of wining the conference,” said Cal Poly assistant coach Paige Esparza. “We’re a young team, but I think we’re ahead of where we were even last year. So it’s real exciting.”
Cal Poly will carry its upswing into a busy week including home matches at noon Tuesday against Washington State, at 1:30 p.m. Thursday against Gonzaga, at 11 a.m. Saturday against San Francisco and at noon Sunday against Denver.
“This is a big week for us, with four more matches before next Sunday,” Bream said.