March 31, 2010

Results

LOS ANGELES - Melissa Valenzuela pulled out an exciting three-set victory but it was not enough for LMU as the Lions fell 6-1 to league-leaders Saint Mary's in a West Coast Conference match at the LMU Tennis Center on Wednesday morning. The Lions (3-10, 0-2 WCC) dropped the doubles point and were unable to overcome the 60th-ranked Gaels (9-6, 3-0 WCC).

Saint Mary's opened the day with a sweep in the doubles. Anna Chikhikvishvili and Catherine Isip defeated Jasmin Heckel and Shauna Morgan at #1, 8-1. The score was the same at #2, with SMC's Alex Poorta and Claire Soper defeating LMU's Elisaveta Pironkova and Jane Pringle. At #3, Alita Fisher and Nienke Strijbis upended Bliss Nixon and Valenzuela 8-3.

Valenzuela bounced back with an exciting come-from-behind victory over Soper at #4 singles. After Soper took the first set 6-0, Valenzuela roared back to win the second 7-6 before taking the third 10-5.

LMU also had a strong shot with Nixon at #6. Nixon won the first set 6-2 but Molly Aloia recovered to win the second 6-1. The two battled into a tiebreaker in the third set, with Aloia coming away with a 7-6 win.

The Gaels put the match away with two-set victories at the other singles positions.

LMU is back in action at noon on Saturday, April 3 with a visit from Arizona.

Doubles
#1: Anna Chikhikvishvili/Catherine Isip, SMC def. Jasmin Heckel/Shauna Morgan, LMU 8-1
#2: Alex Poorta/Claire Soper, SMC def. Elisaveta Pironkova/Jane Pringle, LMU 8-1
#3: Alita Fisher/Nienke Strijbis, SMC def. Bliss Nixon/Melissa Valenzuela, LMU 8-3

Singles
#1: Alex Poorta, SMC def. Jasmin Heckel, LMU 7-5, 6-3
#2: Catherine Isip, SMC def. Jane Pringle, LMU 6-2, 6-1
#3: Anna Chikhikvishvili, SMC def. Estelle LaPorte, LMU 6-2, 6-2
#4: Melissa Valenzuela, LMU def. Claire Soper, SMC 0-6, 7-6, 10-5
#5: Alisa Spitzer, SMC def. Elisaveta Pironkova, LMU 6-2, 6-4
#6: Molly Aloia, SMC def. Bliss Nixon, LMU 2-6, 6-1, 7-6