Bears Wins 3 Titles At Cal Fall Invitational

BERKELEY – The California women's tennis team closed the 2021 Cal Fall Invitational on a high note on Sunday, capturing three titles in their annual event. Haley Giavara and Valentina Ivanov won the top-flight doubles crown, Erin Richardson and Makenna Thiel collected the Gold doubles title and Jessica Alsola took the top-flight singles title in finals played at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
 
The Golden Bears were thankful to host their annual event this fall, after the global pandemic scuttled the tournament in 2020.
 
"It was just nice to have the event again after not getting to have it last year," said Cal Interim Director of Tennis Amanda Augustus. "Thanks to all of the facilities and athletics staff for getting us back on the courts."
 
On Sunday morning, the Gold doubles final was among the first matches to end, with the fourth-seeded Richardson, a junior, and Thiel, a freshman, defeating UC Santa Barbara's Camille Kiss and Marta Gonzalez Ballbe, 8-5. On the next court over, the top-seeded and 14th-ranked Ivanov and Giavara then beat the Gauchos' Amelia Honer and Shakhnoza Khatamova, 8-6, in the Blue doubles final.
 
Following doubles, Alsola, a freshman and the fifth seed in the Blue singles draw, faced sophomore teammate Hannah Viller Moeller, the eighth seed, in the semifinals. The first-year Bear prevailed, 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2. Alsola took on Tamara Arnold, a San Diego State senior, in the final and prevailed, 6-2, 6-0, to win her first title as a collegian.
 
"It feels great," Alsola said. "I have great coaches and great teammates, and they helped me gain the confidence to really push myself today and to play my best out there."
 
"I was really happy to start off the day with winning doubles in both flights," Augustus said. "Haley and Valentina are an established team, but Erin and Makenna are a new team. Makenna was playing in her first college tournament, and beginning with a title was exciting. With Jessica also winning the top flight in singles, we're really excited with the group we have this year. They've been working hard, and it's nice for them to get to play on their home courts once in the fall. The team represented Cal well. We're looking forward to a lot more fall tennis and seeing how many Bears we can qualify for nationals by the end of the fall."
 
The Bears next compete in the Saint Mary's Fall Invitational from Oct. 1-3 in Moraga, California, followed by the Oct. 4-10 ITA All-American Championships in Charleston, South Carolina.
 
Cal Fall Invitational (partial results)
Sept. 26, 2021, in Berkeley, Calif
Hellman Tennis Complex/Channing Tennis Courts
 
Blue Doubles Final
[1] No. 14 Haley Giavara/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Amelia Honer/Shakhnoza Khatamova (UCSB), 8-6
 
Gold Doubles Final
[4] Erin Richardson/Makenna Thiel (Cal) def. Camille Kiss/Marta Gonzalez Ballbe (UCSB), 8-5
 
Gold Doubles Consolation Final
Laura Bente/Melissa LaMette (Cal Poly) def. Cindy Ung/Zoe Clydesdale-Eberle (Pacific), 8-5
 
White Doubles Final
[3] Azaria Hayes/Caragh Courtney (USF) def. [4] Filippa Bruu-Syversen/Ria Reurter (UCSB), 8-5
 
Blue Singles Semifinal Round
[5] Jessica Alsola (Cal) def. [8] Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal), 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-2
Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Linda Huang (Utah) 6-0, 6-2
 
Blue Singles Final
[5] Jessica Alsola (Cal) def. Tamara Arnold (SDSU), 6-2, 6-0
 
Blue Singles Consolation Final
Amelia Honer (UCSB) def. Mia-Angelina Ruja (Pacific), 3-6, 7-5, 10-4
 
Gold Singles Final
Jordan Harris (SMC) def. [8] Emily Ackerman (Cal Poly), 6-2 6-3