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NCAA women's tennis: Seven singles, seven doubles players into Sweet 16

by Kevin Danna
May 21, 2015
StanfordPhoto.com / UCLA Athletics

Seven Pac-12 singles players and seven Pac-12 doubles teams advanced to the round of 16 in Thursday's action at the NCAA women’s tennis championships in Waco, Texas. The seven singles players and doubles teams are the most of any conference in the women’s brackets.

Arizona

The Arizona women’s tennis season is officially over now with Wildcat duo Shayne Austin/Briar Preston falling in straight sets to No. 5-8 seed Brooke Austin/Kourtney Keegan of Florida, with the Gator pair winning 6-2, 6-2. Preston/Austin finished the year 13-8 and were ranked 27th heading into the NCAA championships.

[Related: 2015 NCAA women's doubles championship bracket (CSTV.com)]

Arizona State

The Forks are alive and kickin’ in doubles play with Desirae Krawczyk/Stephanie Vlad moving on to the Sweet 16 after disposing of Texas A&M’s Eva Paalma/Rachel Pierson 6-2, 6-3 (an omen for the 2015 football season opener, perhaps?). According to this article on TheSunDevils.com, ASU head coach Sheila McInerney said that Krawczyk and Vlad “played great and played aggressive tennis. They had a lot of fun out there today, which was nice to see.” Krawczyk/Vlad meet up with Baylor’s Ema Burgic/Blair Shankle in the Sweet 16.

California

‘Twas a perfect day in Waco for the Golden Bears, with both singles participants and both doubles teams advancing to the Sweet 16. On the singles side, fourth-seeded Maegan Manasse took down ‘Bama’s Erin Routliffe in three sets (4-6, 6-0, 6-1) and Zsofi Susanyi won a three-setter of her own over No. 9-16 Julia Jones of Ole Miss (6-4, 1-6, 6-4). In doubles play, Klara Fabikova/Zsofi Susanyi escaped elimination and took out Georgia Tech’s Paige Hourigan/Kendal Woodard 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3 (they were down 5-1 in the second set after losing the first), while fifth-to-eighth seeded Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr had little trouble with Notre Dame’s Quinn Gleason/Monica Robinson (6-2, 6-1). Looking forward to Friday, Manasse plays No. 9-16 seed Josie Kuhlman of Florida and Susanyi goes up against rival Carol Zhao of Stanford in singles play, while Fabikova/Susanyi play Kentucky’s Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi and Manasse/Starr play Stanford duo Caroline Doyle/Ellen Tsay in doubles action.

Stanford

[Related: 2015 NCAA women's singles championship bracket (CSTV.com)]

The Cardinal sends one singles player and two doubles teams to the Sweet 16 in each bracket. In singles play, chalk ruled in second-seeded Carol Zhao’s 6-2, 6-0 pummeling of Fresno State’s Sophie Watts in the first match of the day to go final, while Caroline Doyle bowed out to top-seeded Robin Anderson of UCLA in straight sets (6-2, 6-4 for Anderson). In doubles action, Caroline Doyle/Ellen Tsay beat out Tennessee’s Joanna Henderson/Caitlyn Williams in three sets (6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-2) and second-seeded Taylor Davidson/Carol Zhao defeated Michigan’s Emina Bektas/Alex Najarian 6-4, 6-2 (take that, Harbaugh). In Friday play, Zhao plays Cal’s Zsofi Susanyi, while Doyle/Tsay face Cal’s Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr and Davidson/Zhao get North Carolina’s Jamie Loeb/Caroline Price.

UCLA

Three Bruins singles players and one UCLA doubles team is on to the round of 16. It was a near-perfect day on singles courts, as top-seeded Robin Anderson got past Stanford’s Caroline Doyle 6-2, 6-4, Jennifer Brady three-setted Mississippi State’s Jasmine Lee out of the bracket (6-1, 2-6, 6-3) and Chanelle Van Nguyen rolled to a 6-2, 6-0 triumph over sixth-seeded Julia Elbaba of Virginia. Cahterine Harrison was the lone Bruin to lose in singles play Thursday, dropping a two-setter to Clemson’s Joana Eidukonyte (6-2, 6-1 to the Tiger), who is a No. 9-16 national seed.

In doubles play, Anderson/Brady outlasted William and Mary’s Jeltje Loomans/Leeza Nemchinov 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, while third-seeded Catherine Harrison/Kyle McPhillips fell to Vanderbilt’s Ashleigh Antal/Astra Sharma in a reversal of fortunes from the national championship bout in the team bracket (6-4, 6-4 to the ‘Dores; Harrison/McPhillips edged the Commodore duo 8-5 in doubles play in the Tuesday final). In the Sweet 16, Anderson will face USC’s Sabrina Santamaria, Brady will play Virginia’s Danielle Collins and Van Nguyen will get a crack at Baylor’s Ema Burgic in singles play, while Anderson/Brady will waltz with top-seeded Maya Jansen/Erin Routliffe of Alabama in the doubles bracket.

USC

USC has one singles player and one doubles team in the round of 16. Sabrina Santamaria is the lone Trojan wolf in the singles Sweet 16 after disposing of Belinda Woolcock of Florida 6-3, 6-3, whereas Giuliana Olmos/Zoë Scandalis defeated Nevada’s tandem of Blaga Delic/Sheila Morales Hidalgo 6-4, 6-3 to move on to the doubles Sweet 16. The fallen heroes in singles play are Madison Westby (Baylor’s Ema Burgic beating her 6-4, 6-2) and Giuliana Olmos (losing 6-2, 6-4 to Rice’s Natalie Beazant). In doubles play, Zoë Katz/Santamaria lost in three sets to North Carolina’s Jamie Loeb/Carolina Price (2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in favor of the Tar Heels). Santamaria faces off against top-seeded Robin Anderson of UCLA in Friday singles, while Olmos/Scandalis play No. 4 seed Beatrice Gumulya/Jessy Rompies of Clemson in Friday doubles.

Pac-12.com will have round of 16 updates in the women’s tennis singles and doubles brackets Friday.

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