No. 14 Cal Holds Off No. 5 Pepperdine 4-3
BERKELEY – Julia Rosenqvist clinched a big victory on Tuesday at the Hellman Tennis Complex, as the 14th-ranked California women's tennis team edged No. 5 Pepperdine, 4-3. The win gave the Golden Bears two wins out of three matches with the Waves this season.
The Bears' record improved to 11-5 with the nonconference result. The Waves' record is 13-4.
Rosenqvist and Erin Richardson gave Cal early momentum when they beat Taisiya Pachaleva and Anastasia Iamachkine, 6-2, at court-three doubles. The Bears' 35th-ranked Haley Giavara and Valentina Ivanov followed with a 6-4 win over the 16th-ranked Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen on court two to give Cal the doubles point.
"That was a really big win today for Haley and Val," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "We were almost about to win on court one. Pepperdine has two really, really good doubles teams, and I think we have two or three really good teams."
In singles, two early wins gave Pepperdine a 2-1 lead – until Cal's Hannah Viller Moeller beat the 51st-ranked Victoria Flores, 7-6(4), 6-2, on court five to tie the match at 2-2.
On court two, Cal's 62nd-ranked Jessica Alsolsa rebounded from dropping her first set against 17th-ranked Lisa Zaar to win, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, and give Cal a 3-2 lead over the Waves.
Rosenqvist also played a tough three-setter on court three. But the senior prevailed, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4, over Pepperdine's 82nd-ranked Savannah Broadus to secure the victory with Cal leading 4-2.
"I kept on trying to do my thing to stay on top of her, then she came back, and maybe I let my foot off the gas a little bit," Rosenqvist said. "But it feels like all that work paid off. It feels great right now."
The final score became 4-3 when Cal's 122nd-ranked Katja Wiersholm fell to the 79th-ranked Tjen, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, for the freshman's first singles loss of the season. Wiersholm now has a 17-1 singles record.
Cal returns to Pac-12 Conference play when the Bears play at No. 32 Arizona State on Friday and at No. 48 Arizona on Saturday.
No. 14 California (11-5) defeated No. 5 Pepperdine (13-4), 4-3
March 29, 2022, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. No. 29 Jessica Alsola/Katja Wiersholm (Cal) vs. No. 17 Victoria Flores/Lisa Zaar (Pepperdine), 5-3 (Unfinished)
2. No. 35 Haley Giavara/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. No. 16 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (Pepperdine), 6-4*
3. Erin Richardson/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) vs. def. Taisiya Pachkaleva/Anastasia Iamachkine (Pepperdine), 6-2
Order of Finish – 3, 2*
*Cal clinched the doubles point on court 2
Singles
1. No. 9 Shiori Fukuda (Pepperdine) def. No. 101 Haley Giavara (Cal), 6-2, 6-2
2. No. 62 Jessica Alsola (Cal) def. No. 17 Lisa Zaar (Pepperdine), 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) vs. No. 82 Savannah Broadus (Pepperdine), 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4
4. No. 79 Janice Tjen (Pepperdine) def. No. 122 Katja Wiersholm (Cal), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
5. Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) def. No. 51 Victoria Flores (Pepperdine), 7-6(4), 6-2
6. No. 98 Nikki Redelijk (Pepperdine) def. Valentina Ivanov (Cal), 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish – 1, 6, 5, 2, 3^, 4
^Clinched the overall match