March 2, 2007
FULLERTON, Calif. - Sophomore Emma Shapiro teamed up with freshman Anita Athavale for an 8-4 doubles win then won a split-set battle at No. 6 singles to lift UC Davis to a 4-3 win over Cal State Fullerton in a non-conference women's collegiate tennis dual at Titan Courts Friday.
The Aggies improve to 7-5 for the season. The Titans fall to 1-13 overall, losing their 13th straight match of the spring season.
Shapiro and Athavale beat the CSF tandem of Katrina Domela and Jerusha Cruz by an 8-4 final, then the Aggies' Robin Guier and Desiree Stone took down Brandy Andrews and Cheyenne Inglis at No. 2 to clinch the doubles point. UC Davis then claimed the first two singles points off the court as sophomores Jenna Kappel and Andrea Phillips quickly dispatched their Titan opponents at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
However, Fullerton battled back to tie the match at 3-3, picking up three-set victories by Mai-Ly Tran at No. 2 singles and Katrina Domela at No. 3. Tran led Guier by a 5-1 margin in the third set before the UC Davis junior rallied back and forced a tiebreaker. Tran finally scored a 7-4 victory in the tiebreaker to complete the win.
"Getting the doubles point was huge because Fullerton was good in singles," said Aggie assistant coach Sara Morenc. "With three matches coming down to a third set, it was a question of who wants it more. I think we did. This was our closest match so far and I'm proud of the way the team pulled it off."
Shapiro fought back from a 7-5 loss in the first set to take a 6-4 second set and a 6-3 third, breaking the tie and lifting the Aggies to the overall match victory. She was the only UC Davis player to win both her singles and doubles match for the day.
UC Davis continues road action against its future Big West Conference opponents, facing Cal State Northridge on Saturday and UC Irvine on Sunday.
UC Davis 4, Cal State Fullerton 3
DOUBLES
1. Gina Le / Mai-Ly Tran (CSF) def. Jenna Kappel / Herzyl Legaspi (UC Davis), 8-5
2. Robin Guier / Desiree Stone (UC Davis) def. Brandy Andrews / Cheyenne Inglis (CSF), 8-5
3. Emma Shapiro / Anita Athavale (UC Davis) def. Katrina Domela / Jerusha Cruz (CSF), 8-4
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1.
SINGLES
1. Gina Le (CSF) def. Desiree Stone (UC Davis), 7-5, 6-2
2. Mai-Ly Tran (CSF) def. Robin Guier (UC Davis), 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (4)
3. Katrina Domela (CSF) def. Herzyl Legaspi (UC Davis) , 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
4. Jenna Kappel (UC Davis) def. Brandy Andrews (CSF), 6-2, 6-1
5. Andrea Phillips (UC Davis) def. Cheyenne Inglis (CSF), 6-1, 6-4
6. Emma Shapiro (UC Davis) def. Jerusha Cruz (CSF), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Order of finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6.
