SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Santa Clara women's tennis team got back to its winning ways on Saturday with a strong 6-1 win over Portland. The Broncos play their final match in the Degheri Tennis Center on Sunday, April 13 against Gonzaga at 12 p.m. The team will be honoring Katie Le and Stephanie Skaras before the match begins for Senior Day.
Santa Clara boasts an 8-8 overall dual record after its West Coast Conference win over Portland. The Broncos are 4-2 at home, 2-5 on the road and 2-1 on neutral surfaces. The team is 3-3 in the WCC this spring season with wins over San Francisco, Loyola Marymount, and Portland.
"I am very happy to get our conference season back on track with a solid win," said senior Stephanie Skaras. "Everyone played great and we did a good job of carrying the momentum from doubles into singles."
Santa Clara faced a challenging opponent in Portland (5-9; 1-7 WCC), but the Broncos were able to get on the board first by winning the doubles point.
On court two, the Santa Clara duo of Delphine Rouvillois and Stephanie Skaras were first off the courts after grabbing a solid 8-2 victory from Maja Mladenovic and Tori Troesch of the Pilots. This is just the second time the two Broncos have played together and were able to tally their first win. The No. 1 team of Chelby Cooke and Katie Le clinched the doubles point for the Broncos with an 8-4 battle over Sophine Van den Aarssen and Jelena Lazarevic. Cooke and Le post a 3-1 record together since their first pairing on March 15.
On the singles side, Santa Clara converted five out of the six individual matches to take the win for the day's events and snap the team's four-match losing streak. First off the courts with the win was Skaras on court five. The Australian native blanked Portland's Tori Troesch in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0. This gave the senior her third consecutive singles victory.
Sophomore Chelby Cooke tallied the third point for the Broncos on court three. Cooke displayed her dominant play in the first set going 6-2 over Jelena Lazarevic of the Pilots. The Bakersfield, Calif. native finished off her opponent 6-1 in the second. Cooke has won the past four out of six singles matches.
At the No. 6 spot, Nicolette Wolny topped her opponent in a quick two-set victory. The junior defeated Marina Reimers, 6-0, 6-2, to give Santa Clara its fourth point and third WCC win this spring season.
Playing out the point, Delphine Rouvillois showcased great strength against Sophie Van den Aarssen, taking the first set 6-2. Van den Aarseen battled back in the second, but Rouvillois proved too much for her opponent and closed out the match in the third set, 6-2. The Grenoble, France native posts an impressive 9-5 dual singles record this season.
Santa Clara standout and the No. 25 player named by ITA was the last Bronco off the courts on Saturday. Katie Le took the first set from Portland's Maja Mladenovic by a score of 6-3. The Pilot then stole the first set from Le since Feb. 22. But the senior proved too much for her competitor in the match tiebreaker, winning 10-3. Le extends her singles winning streak to 12, playing consistently at the No. 1 position. The Milpitas, Calif. native has not lost a match since Feb. 14 and posts an impressive 13-1 record in her final dual season at Santa Clara. Le is 24-4 overall for the 2013-14 season.
"I'm excited about Senior Day tomorrow," said Skaras. "It will be fun but also bittersweet."
The Broncos host their final match at home this spring when they take on Gonzaga on Sun., April 13 at 12 p.m. for Senior Day.
Santa Clara 6, Portland 1
April 12 | Degheri Tennis Center | Santa Clara, Calif.
Doubles | Order of Finish: 2, 1
1) Chelby Cooke/Katie Le (SCU) def. Sophie Van den Aarssen/Jelena Lazarevic (POR) 8-4
2) Delphine Rouvillois/Stephanie Skaras (SCU) def. Maja Mladenovic/Tori Troesch (POR) 8-2
3) Elaine Chesoni/Nicolette Wolny (SCU) vs. Saroop Dhatt/Gabrielle Gorence (POR) 7-3, Unfinished
Singles | Order of Finish: 5, 3, 6, 4, 2, 1
1) #25 Katie Le (SCU) def. Maja Mladenovic (POR) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3
2) Delphine Rouvillois (SCU) def. Sophie Van den Aarssen (POR) 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
3) Chelby Cooke (SCU) def. Jelena Lazarevic (POR) 6-2, 6-1
4) Daniella Silva (SCU) vs. Saroop Dhatt (POR) 6-4, 2-0 Retired
5) Stephanie Skaras (SCU) def. Tori Troesch (POR) 6-0, 6-0
6) Nicolette Wolny (SCU) def. Marina Reimers (POR) 6-0, 6-2
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GO BRONCOS!