After a lackluster 5–2 loss to Utah on Friday, the ASU women’s tennis team captured a dramatic 4–3 win against Colorado on Saturday.
The Sun Devils forfeited the No. 3 doubles spot and No. 6 singles spot on both days to start down 0–2 because senior Sianna Smith and sophomore Jacqueline Cako were both out with injuries.
On Friday, that proved to be enough to keep ASU from beating No. 44 Utah.
“Friday was tough,” coach Sheila McInerney said. “Utah is good and the kids felt the pressure.”
The day started well with ASU winning the doubles point.
Senior Michelle Brycki and freshman Joanna Smith defeated senior Anastasia Putilina and sophomore Callie Craig 8–6.
In the No. 2 doubles spot, freshman Leighann Sahagun and junior Hannah James bested freshmen Danielle Flores and Natasha Smith 8–3.
After the doubles matches, the Sun Devils’ play took a turn for the worse.
In singles, Sahagun was the only Sun Devil to win her match, defeating Flores 6–1, 6–4.
Brycki was able to take her match against Putilina to three sets. She won the first set 6–3, but lost the next two 0–6, 1–6.
“Utah played well,” she said. “We had a small margin of error and weren’t able to pull through for a win.”
Saturday was senior day and singles play began after inclement weather conditions.
Smith finished first, defeating freshman Julyette Steur 6–3, 6–0.
Sahagun beat sophomore Carla Manzi 6–1, 6–3, and Brycki defeated sophomore Kristina Schleich 6–2, 6–4.
James and freshman Clare Frye lost their matches to bring the score to 3–3 going into doubles play.
For ASU to win, they would need to win both matches.
Sahagun and James defeated senior Anna Anuszkiewicz and Manzi 8–4, then all eyes turned to the deciding match.
Brycki and Smith were losing to Steur and sophomore Winde Janssens, but fought back and won 9–7 to clinch the victory for the Sun Devils.
“Joanna and I managed to come back and redeem ourselves a little bit, since we started off pretty poorly,” Brycki said. “She definitely carried me.”
McInerney said she was happy to bounce back from Friday to take the win but saw improvements that could be made.
“We were playing with our backs against the wall, but we hung in there,” she said. “I don’t think we played great, but it feels a lot better to come away with a win.”
McInerney said the team’s success this weekend will help going into their last match of the regular season, where ASU will face UA as part of the State Farm Territorial Cup Series on Friday, April 20.
“We’ve had success against the U of A, but we have to play really well,” McInerney said. “I’m expecting us to play really well.”
Reach the reporter at dkmcinty@asu.edu
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