NICOLE ALBERTSON
Staff Writer
The Trojans conquered the Waves again Friday when the University of Southern California defeated Pepperdine 5-2 at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center. After the excitement built up by team members and fans, No.-8 USC beat No.-19 Pepperdine for the second time this season.
Winning one of three double matches, Pepperdine failed to bring in the coveted doubles point that usually sets the tone for the following singles matches.
“The outcome would have been different if we would have won the double point,” No. 1 player Bianca Dulgheru said. “But everyone played much better than before. It was a much closer match than last time.”
Aside from doubles team Eva Dickes and Anete Bandere winning at No. 3 against the No.-24 USC duo 8-4, the strong Trojans conquered No.-1 Sylvia Kosakowski and Caroline Raba 8-4, and No.-2 Bianca Dulgheru and Katia Sabate 8-4.
“They are a really good team,” Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said referring to USC. “It was an unfortunate loss.”
Although the Waves displayed confidence in a Trojan thrashing the week leading up to the battle, the individual matches pulled down the Waves’ chances of winning the competition. Losses from junior Dulgheru at No. 1, freshmen Sabate and Tania Rice and Jillian Braverman’s defeat resulting from re-occurring leg cramps, left the Trojans in clear view of a victory.
“She played unbelievably,” Dulgheru said regarding the opponent she has previously beaten 6-4, 6-2. “I couldn’t really do anything.”
Shining sporadic but ineffective hope for the team’s win, No.-94 Kosakowski defeated USC’s No. 9 player Sarah Fransier with a 10-5 in the super-breaker.
“Sylvia changed a lot of things from the last time we played USC,” Dulgheru said.
Another surprise point was claimed by Raba as she defeated No. 77 Dianne Matias with 6-4, 6-2. USC, while always known as a strong team, became a surprise for the pumped up Waves.
“They were more consistent this time, definitely more fit on the courts than before,” Dulgheru said.
Putting their recent defeats behind them, the women’s tennis team embarked on a three-match road trip venturing down to San Diego and then to Northern California for the chance to win against Stanford and UC Berkeley.
Despite a rain shower’s threats, women’s tennis kicked off the excursion with a win over San Diego 5-2 on Tuesday, improving the Waves to 6-4 on the season.
Contrasting the disappointing loss against USC the previous week, the Waves took all three doubles matches, earning them the much needed doubles point entering the singles matches. Wins from Raba 6-1, 6-0, Sabate 6-3, 6-0, Dickes 6-2, 6-7, 10-4, and Dulgheru 6-3, 6-0, confirmed Pepperdine’s victory over San Diego.
But the upcoming match against top-ranked Stanford on March 2 brings the ultimate motivation for the women’s team. As Escudero has long promised, Pepperdine’s win over Stanford will result in a little tattoo inking on his squeaky clean arm.
“We are trying to focus,” Dulgheru said. “We are just taking each match step by step.”
Women’s tennis will be fighting for a permanent place on their coach’s arm Friday, March 2, and then moving on to Berkeley on Sunday.
03-01-2007
