SEATTLE --- No. 9 Washington fought hard for its first home win in conference play, sweeping Oregon 7-0 in a match that was closer than the final score would indicate on Friday afternoon at the Quillian Tennis Stadium.
The Huskies continue their best start to a season in the last 20 years, improving to 13-1 and moving to 3-0 in Pac-12 play. Washington has won eight-straight after losing to No. 2 Vanderbilt in early February.
"Today was big for us," said Head Coach
Robin Stephenson. "Getting back home and playing outdoors for the first time here was great and we handled ourselves very well. It is not easy to win 7-0 and I'm really proud of the fight and effort from everyone. We lost a couple of first sets and down pretty big in another and found a way to turn those around which was great to see."
Washington got off to a great start in the match, earning the doubles point to go up early. The Ducks jumped in front early with a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles, though the Huskies would tie it up shortly thereafter as
Kenadi Hance and
Sedona Gallagher picked up a 6-3 victory at No. 3 doubles, After that, the No. 1 doubles team of
Stacey Fung and
Nika Zupancic wrapped up the point with a 6-2 win, cruising down the stretch after falling being 2-1 early.
Gallagher quickly put the Huskies up 2-0 after taking her match at No. 5 singles 6-0, 6-3. She wrapped up her match while nearly every other court finished the first set.
Vanessa Wong improved to 13-0 in dual matches this season, winning with relative ease at No. 2 singles, cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 victory to put Washington one point away from the team victory.
Natsuho Arakawa picked up the clinching point playing at No. 4 singles, coming from behind to take the first set 7-6 (7-3) and pulling away late 6-4. The final three matches were close contests gutted out by the Huskies. The marquee match was at No. 1 singles where a pair of nationally-ranked players with a long history battled in Stacey Fun and Shweta Sangwan. Fung won the hard-fought match 6-3, 6-4, pulling away late in both sets.Â
The final two matches went to tie breakers as
Katarina Kopcalic and Zupancic were able to overcome first-set losses. Kopcalic lost 6-3 in the first set and was trailing in the second before rallying to force a tiebreaker, winning that 7-4 to even the match. In the match tiebreaker, Kopcalic fought off a pair of match points to take the third set 12-10. On court six, Zupancic dropped the first set 6-4 but won 6-3 in the second. Since the third started before the match was clinched, they played a full third set, which she was able to win easily, 6-2.Â
"It was also really good to see our girls staying focused on their courts once the match was clinched and winning the last 3 matches out there," said Stephenson. "I think that speaks volumes as to how invested every player is and how much this means to them. This team continues to work harder each day and find ways to dig deeper in matches and we are getting better everyday. I still don't think we are playing our best tennis but we are competing at such a high level and I'm looking forward to seeing when it all comes together towards the end of the regular season and into post season. We have a bit of time now to rest and recover and then get back to work."
"Today was a big day for us," said Zupancic. "Everyone on the team wanted this win very badly. We all knew what we had to do, and were able to execute. It was so fun to be back on home courts with the fam. Everything just seems so easy when you're playing next to the people you love and look up too."
Washington takes a week off from action for spring break, returning to action on Friday, March 29 to host Arizona (8-6, 0-3 Pac-12) then taking on Arizona State (5-7, 0-3 Pac-12) on Sunday, March 31.Â
DOUBLES (2,3,1)
1. #43
Stacey Fung/
Nika Zupancic (WASH) def. Shweta Sangwan (ORE) 6-2
2. Paiton Wagner/Daniela Nasser (ORE) def.
Vanessa Wong/
Zoey Weil (WASH) 6-2Â
3.
Sedona Gallagher/
Kenadi Hance (WASH) def. Allison Mulville/Julia Eshet (ORE) 6-3
SINGLESÂ (5,2,4,1,3,6)
1. #69
Stacey Fung (WASH) def. #87 Shweta Sangwan (ORE) 6-3, 6-4
2. #112
Vanessa Wong (WASH) def. Daniela Nasser (ORE) 6-3, 6-1Â
3.
Katarina Kopcalic (WASH) def. Rifanty Kahfiani (ORE) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 12-10
4.
Natsuho Arakawa (WASH) def. Paiton Wagner (ORE) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
5.
Sedona Gallagher (WASH) def. Allison Mulville (ORE) 6-0, 6-3
6.
Nika Zupancic (WASH) def. Julia Eshet (ORE) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
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