Viller Moeller Clinches As No. 14 Cal Beats No. 17 USC

BERKELEY - Hannah Viller Moeller won in straight sets at court-five singles to clinch the 14th-ranked California women's tennis team's 4-3 victory over No. 17 USC on Saturday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex.

The Golden Bears improved to 10-5 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Trojans are now 10-9 (3-2 Pac-12).
 
In doubles, the pair of Erin Richardson and Julia Rosenqvist defeated Sloane Morra and Salma Ewing, 6-0, at court-three singles to improve their own record to 9-4.
 
"At the beginning of the season you could tell the potential that we had in doubles, and we put in a lot of work, and we just really nailed it today," Rosenqvist said. "I'm really happy."
 
The Bears clinched the doubles point when the 29th-ranked duo of freshmen Katja Wiersholm and Jessica Alsola beat the Trojans' 64th-ranked Eryn Cayetano and Grace Piper, 6-3, on court one.
 
USC tied the match at 1-1 when the 41st-ranked Salma Ewing beat Cal's 101st-ranked Haley Giavara, 6-2, 6-3, at court-one singles.
 
Cal bounced back with three straight victories, starting with Rosenqvist beating the 78th-ranked Naomi Cheong, 6-2, 6-3, on court four and continuing with the 122nd-ranked Wiersholm winning 6-4, 6-3 over the 77th-ranked Snow Han on court three. The latter's win kept her unbeaten in singles at 17-0.
 
Viller Moeller then secured Cal's win when she bested Piper, 6-4, 6-4, to give Cal a 4-1 lead. USC won the last two matches, making the final score 4-3.
 
"We started off well in the doubles," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "Jessica and Katja got a good win over a ranked opponent on court one. Erin and Julia did a fantastic job of being super focused on court three, and that got us off to a really good start.
 
"USC's a good team, and they pushed back. But we were able to have straight-set victories to clinch the match, and I was glad to see us fight hard on those other courts. It was a good team win with how we competed. Having Hannah clinch the match today was great. I'm really proud of her. She's been working really hard, and she's been playing better and better each week."
 
Cal next hosts No. 5 Pepperdine on Tuesday at 12 p.m. at the Hellman Tennis Complex in the third meeting between the teams this season.

No. 14 California (10-5, 4-0 Pac-12) defeated No. 17 USC (10-9, 3-2 Pac-12), 4-3
March 26, 2022, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. No. 29 Jessica Alsola/Katja Wiersholm (Cal) def. No. 64 Eryn Cayetano/Grace Piper (USC), 6-3*
2. No. 35 Haley Giavara/Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) vs. Snow Han/Naomi Cheong (USC), 3-4 (Unfinished)
3. Erin Richardson/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Sloane Morra/Salma Ewing (USC), 6-0
 
Order of Finish – 3, 1*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 41 Salma Ewing (USC) def. No. 101 Haley Giavara (Cal), 6-2, 6-3
2. No. 6 Eryn Cayetano (USC) def. No. 62 Jessica Alsola (Cal), 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
3. No. 122 Katja Wiersholm (Cal) def. No. 77 Snow Han (USC), 6-4, 6-3
4. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. No. 78 Naomi Cheong (USC), 6-2, 6-3
5. Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) def. (USC), Grace Piper (USC), 6-4, 6-4^
6. Danielle Wilson (USC) def. Erin Richardson (Cal), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
 
Order of Finish – 1, 4, 3, 5^, 6, 2
^Clinched the overall match