Cal Poly Women’s Tennis split their Big West Conference duals after dropping a close match against Long Beach State, 4-3, before bouncing back with a 5-2 win over the defending Big West Conference Champions University of Hawai’i.
The Mustangs (8-7, 3-2 Big West) currently sit in fifth place in the Big West Conference standings behind the fourth-place Beach (11-6, 5-2 Big West) and third-place Rainbow Wahine (8-8, 5-2 Big West.)
Mustangs fall to Beach after rain delay
In the Mustangs’ first match since March 15, the rain greeted San Luis Obispo forcing a match delay before play even got underway.
Cal Poly would be on the losing end of a gritty 4-3 final score, after a five-hour match day.
The dual was moved to the San Luis Obispo Country Club where Cal Poly would be hosting a scorching hot Long Beach State squad currently on a four-match win streak.
The match got underway with an 0-1 Mustang deficit, falling on the doubles front early.
Another storm system rolled in after doubles play, stalling the singles lines an hour extra.
When singles got underway, it would be sophomore Alexandra Ozerets getting the Mustangs their first point on the board, grabbing her first career victory at line No. 3 6-2, 6-0.
Cal Poly would even the score at two apiece after a win at the No. 5 spot from junior Romane Mosse, 6-4, 6-2.
Mosse has been on a tear for the Mustangs winning her last seven singles matches, upping her season record to 10-4, a team-high.
With three matches still battling it out on the court Cal Poly would need to take two out of the three to come away with the victory.
The Beach would come away with two straight victories clinching the overall match in their favor.
Junior Peyton Dunkle would be the only Mustang to secure a victory in the final stretch, battling at line No. 2 defeating her opponent 6-3, 7-6 (7-3). She pushes her record to an impressive 8-4 on the season.
Mustangs avenge their postseason defeat
Cal Poly women’s tennis dominated in a 5-2 victory against Big West rival, Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine avenging their Big West Championships defeat last season.
The Mustangs (8-7, 3-2 Big West) lost to the Rainbow Wahine in the Big West Championships last April and during the regular season. With this victory, the Mustangs are now 3-2 in the conference, allowing them to stay in contention for one of the top seeds.
Cal Poly started off strong in doubles thanks to junior Eliza Bates and sophomore Kennedy Buntrock dominating in a 6-1 victory.
Mosse and graduate student Melissa LaMette won both of their matches 6-4 and 6-3, giving Cal Poly an early 3-0 lead.
Ozerets and Buntrock dominated their singles matches with Buntrock pulling out 6-2 and 6-1 scores while Ozerets pulled out a close win in a 10-8 super tiebreaker.
Peyton and her sister, fifth-year Delanie Dunkle, struggled as they both lost their singles matches, but clinched the doubles point for the Mustangs as the sisters have won five straight doubles matches and improved to 11-3 on the season.
Cal Poly will return to the road and look to build off of this win as they travel to UC Irvine on Saturday, April 13.