Bronco Women Drop Hard-Fought Contest

Bronco Women Drop Hard-Fought Contest

Feb. 17, 2005

PLEASANTON, Calif. - The 75th-ranked Santa Clara University women's tennis team dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision this afternoon to Washington State after moving the match indoors due to inclement weather.

The Broncos, who fall to 4-3 on the season, won two of the six singles matches then were unable to complete the doubles portion of the match due to court availability issues at Club Sport. Washington State, which started opened the season ranked 66th nationally, improved to 3-5 overall.

"I was proud of the way our girls fought," said SCU's first-year head coach Damon Coupe. "We put the distraction of playing indoors out of our minds early since Washington State came out really aggressive and tried to take it to us. We fought back and played with tenacity, which is what it takes to win big matches. I thought Carherine (Cochrane) and Jessie (Strunk) really pulled out big wins, particularly after they both dropped their first sets."

Cochrane, playing in the No. 3 position in singles, advanced to 4-2 on the season at that position with a three-set, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over Washington State senior Chris Martinez. Strunk improved her record at the No. 6 position to 5-2 on the year with a 2-6 7-6, 1-0 win over WSU's Aleksandra Stefanova.

Santa Clara is scheduled to return to action Friday afternoon with a 3:30 p.m. match against West Coast Conference rival Saint Mary's College at the Degheri Tennis Center on the SCU campus.

Washington State 4
Santa Clara 2

Date: Thursday, February 17, 2005
Site: Club Sport, Pleasanton, Calif.
Start Time: Noon
Weather: Indoors

Singles
1. Ekaterina Burduli (WSU) def. Janalle Kaloi (SCU), 6-2, 6-3
2. Orsolya Sallai (WSU) def. Kelly Leathers, 6-2, 6-2
3. Catherine Cochrane (SCU) def. Chris Martinez (WSU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
4. Amy Toth (WSU) def. Erika Barnes (SCU), 6-1, 6-1
5. Nora Gaal (WSU), def. Kimberly Daniel (SCU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Jessie Strunk (SCU) def. Aleksandra Stefanova (WSU), 2-6, 7-6, 1-0

Doubles
1. Kaloi / Leathers (SCU) def. Gaal / Burduli (WSU), 8-6
2. Martinez / Sallai (WSU) def. Cochrane / Daniel (SCU), 8-2
3. Barnes / Strunk (SCU) vs. Toth / Stefanova (WSU), dnf

Records
Santa Clara: 4-3
Washington State: 3-5