Women’s Tennis Returns With Sweep Of Idaho

SEATTLE – Outplaying an opponent on the other side of the net was the only concern today as the Husky women's tennis team was able to focus simply on competing, for the first time since last March. Washington had a much different look to its lineup than a year ago, with three freshmen making their NCAA debuts, and all three had successful first days, as the Dawgs swept Idaho at the Nordstrom Tennis Center, 7-0.
 
Freshmen Sarah-Maude Fortin, Tara Chilton, and Yolanda Lin all made their Husky debuts today, and all three won their singles matches, while Fortin and Lin also teamed up for a doubles win.
 
Things looked the same at the top of the lineup, however, as Vanessa Wong owned the No. 1 spot in today's season-opener and she defeated Laura Spataro, 6-0, 6-2. Wong, ranked 74th in the preseason poll, picked up where she left off after last season's 11-1 mark in dual play.
 
The Huskies did not drop a set on the day against the Vandals. Sedona Gallagher moved up to the No. 2 spot today and had a 6-3, 6-2 win over Melissa Huchet, and the other returner in the lineup, Zoey Weil, had a 6-0, 6-2 win at the No. 4 position.
 
As for the freshmen, Fortin (Montreal, Canada) played the No. 3 singles spot and delivered a 6-3, 6-1 win over Katherine Jhang. Yolanda Lin, from Sammamish, Wash., was a 6-0, 6-2 winner at the No. 5 spot, and Tara Chilton of Reno, Nev. posted a 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 6 spot over Idaho's Saffron Dowse.
 
Head Coach Robin Stephenson was impressed by the newcomers' first test. "I thought the freshmen were great, honestly maybe a little nerves at the beginning of doubles, but they worked through that and did a really good job closing out the doubles point," Stephenson said. "Then in singles I thought they did an extremely good job; all very coachable and handled themselves well. They did all the things we've been practicing and talking about so for a first match it was excellent."
 
After waiting so long for one match, the Huskies will turn around and face the same Idaho squad on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
 
 
Washington Women's Tennis
January 30, 2021
Nordstrom Tennis Center | Seattle, Wash.
 
Washington – 7
Idaho – 0
 
Singles
1. (#74) Vanessa Wong (UW) def. Laura Spataro (UI), 6-0, 6-2
2. Sedona Gallagher (UW) def. Melissa Huchet (UI), 6-3, 6-2
3. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. Katherine Jhang (UI), 6-3, 6-1
4. Zoey Weil (UW) def. Maggie Chen (UI), 6-0, 6-2
5. Yolanda Lin (UW) def. Nicole Horacek (UI), 6-0, 6-2
6. Tara Chilton (UW) def. Saffron Dowse (UI), 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 5, 4, 1, 6, 2
 
Doubles
1. Wong/Gallagher (UW) def. Spataro/Huchet (UI), 6-4
2. Fortin/Lin (UW) def. Chen/Jhang (UI), 6-3
3. Weil/Chang (UW) def. Horacek/Magalhaes (UI), 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1