No. 19 Cal Defeats Saint Mary’s 6-1 In Opener
BERKELEY – The 19th-ranked California women's tennis team began the 2021 season on a strong note, defeating Saint Mary's, 6-1, on a sunny Thursday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex. Freshman Hannah Viller Moeller clinched the win at court-four singles, while freshman Jada Bui, likewise making her collegiate debut, paired with sophomore Valentina Ivanov to secure the doubles point.
"It's always exciting and always special to start a new season at Hellman, because Hellman is such a great collegiate venue," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "Given that this was our first match and the first match for Saint Mary's, I was pleased with the level of both teams. It was a good starting point, and on all the courts we did a really good job of playing aggressively and making adjustments as needed throughout both the doubles and the singles."
Viller Moeller also triumphed in doubles, teaming with sophomore Haley Giavara on court two to best the Gaels' Jordan Harris and Liesl Pieters, 6-2, in the day's first win. Ivanov and Bui then beat Lene Mari Hovda and Jocelyn Massey, 6-4, to clinch the point on court three. In a close match on court one, Cal's 53rd-ranked duo of seniors Anna Bright and Julia Rosenqvist held off Mariia Kozyreva and Danielle McIntyre, 7-5, to give the Bears a doubles weep.
Bright quickly gave Cal a 2-0 lead, dispatching Pieters, 6-0, 6-1, in singles on court five. Rosenqvist, ranked 43rd, followed with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Hovda on court two. Viller Moeller and Bui finished their matches in quick succession, with the former beating Massey, 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the overall match on court four and the latter topping McIntyre by the same score on court three.
Cal led 5-0.
Over on court one, the 17th-ranked Kozyreva upended Cal's 26th-ranked Ivanov, 6-3, 6-3, to put the Gaels on the scoreboard, before Cal sophomore Erin Richardson prevailed over Aubane Ville on court six, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, to close the match.
"It was a good well-rounded team victory today," Augustus added. "Everybody contributed. It should serve us well heading into the ITA Kickoff Weekend in a couple days."
Cal now travels to Los Angeles to compete in the four-team ITA Kickoff Weekend at UCLA. The Bears play the host and second-ranked Bruins on Saturday at 1 p.m. and then faces either Texas A&M or Washington State on Sunday. Fans can keep track of the action in L.A. through the live stream by clicking here. Whichever team wins twice in L.A. advances to the Oracle ITA National Team Indoor Championship in February.
No. 19 California (1-0) defeated Saint Mary's (0-1), 6-1
Jan. 21, 2021, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. No. 53 Anna Bright/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Mariia Kozyreva/Danielle McIntyre (SMC), 7-5
2. Haley Giavara/Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) def. Jordan Harris/Liesl Pieters (SMC), 6-2
3. Jada Bui/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Lene Mari Hovda/Jocelyn Massey (SMC), 6-4*
Order of Finish – 2, 3*, 1
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
1. No. 17 Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. No. 26 Valentina Ivanov (Cal), 6-3, 6-3
2. No. 43 Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Lene Mari Hovda (SMC), 6-2, 6-4
3. Jada Bui (Cal) def. Danielle McIntyre (SMC), 6-2, 6-3
4. Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) def. Jocelyn Massey (SMC), 6-2, 6-3^
5. Anna Bright (Cal) def. Liesl Pieters (SMC), 6-0, 6-1
6. Erin Richardson (Cal) def. Aubane Ville (SMC), 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Order of Finish – 5, 2, 4^, 3, 1, 6
^Clinched the overall match
Att.: 0.