The Pepperdine women’s tennis team won its first match of a streak of 12 consecutive home matches Saturday defeating Fresno State 6-1. The Waves lost their first three games to Michigan UCLA and Florida State. Pepperdine now has eight more home games before they compete in the West Coast Conference Tournament held in late April.
The Waves (5-9) made a change in their doubles team lineup that proved to be successful against Fresno State. The team of Marie Zalameda and Anamika Bhargava kept consistent with the season winning their doubles match 8-4. Ali Walters and Arianna Colffer joined forces and won their match 8-3 while the newly developed team of Andrea Oates and Tania Rice also tallied a victory at 7-6.
Walters and Oates have played together in the doubles events for most of the season like Colffer and Rice but switching in new partners benefited the Waves last weekend leading them to their first doubles sweep of the season and the first doubles point awarded in five matches.
Waves Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said he put Walters and Colffer together because of the power they bring to the court.
“We figured they both have some power they both really drive the ball— and that might keep the opponents back a bit which would give us a chance to play up a little more when we are up at the net Escudero said. They both have actually pretty big serves… so I thought it would be a pretty good team to try.”
Escudero said the Waves’ third doubles team did not work as well as he had hoped despite its victory.
“Trying a new team might work [but] it didn’t quite Escudero said. They [Walters and Colffer] had game points every game and they won but they could have really beaten them something like 8-2 if they had they capitalized on the game points.”
In the singles event the Waves continued their dominance over the Bulldogs winning five out of six matches. Zalameda defeated her Fresno State opponent Melissa McQueen 6-0 and 6-1 in the Waves’ top game of the day. Colffer was the only Wave to post a loss in the singles event falling to Renata Kucerkova 6-0 and 6-2.
“Her [Colffer’s] opponent [Kuckerkova] was solid Escudero said. We have seen her before and we have beaten her before so we expected to win that match.”
Escudero said Colffer was hitting too hard to be consistent and she gave the— opponent enough opportunities to be confident and win the match.
Walters closed Saturday’s match with a victory over Bianca Modoc 6-4 and 6-1 making Fresno State’s record 0-10. The Waves now ranked 37th will finish off their regular season with eight more home matches to come. Pepperdine will play San Diego State this weekend a game that Escudero says will be a great test for the Waves.
“They are actually very good Escudero said. I think it’s exciting to play a team that’s very close to us from last year and they already did a number on our conference No. 2 team St. Mary’s. It will be a great test.”
The Waves are scheduled to host San Diego State on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Ralphs Straus Tennis Center.
