MORAGA, Calif. – The Santa Clara women's tennis team came up just short on its search for a weekend road sweep as the 75th-ranked Broncos fell 4-1 at Saint Mary's Saturday in West Coast Conference action.
Santa Clara (7-6, 1-2), which won 4-2 at Pacific Friday, was unable to get enough of production at singles to extend the match against the Gaels (6-7, 3-0), who won their fourth straight.
Madison Clarke downed Aniek Van Rossum 6-2, 6-2 on the No. 4 court to cut the Saint Mary's lead to 2-1, but the Gaels won at Nos. 2 and 6 to clinch the match.
"Madison Clarke played a nice match after a tough three-setter yesterday," head coach Ben Cabell said. "She bounced back with a good win today."
Jamie Pawd defeated Santa Clara's Chelby Cooke on the No. 2 court and Kareena Manji downed Zeina El Tawil 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6.
The Broncos were leading in the two unfinished singles matches. Daniella Silva, moving up from No. 2 to No. 1 singles, led Jana McCord 6-2, 4-4 and Delphine Rouvillois was ahead of Clementine Clement 2-6, 6-3, 4-1 at the No. 6 position.
"Singles were fairly close," Cabell said. "We thought it was going to be a 4-3 match, but we either have to come up with the doubles point or play better in singles. Saint Mary's played well."
Silva and Nabila Farah led McCord and Pawd, the 59th-ranked doubles duo in the nation, 4-3, but that match was never finished as the Gaels won easily at Nos. 2 and 3 to claim the first point of the match.
The Gaels downed San Francisco, 4-0, Friday and possess a deceiving record as all of their losses have come to teams that were ranked among the top 55 in the nation. Saint Mary's, currently out of the ITA top 75, was ranked as high as No. 44 earlier this spring.
The Broncos are back home next weekend as the Northwest schools come to town. Santa Clara faces Portland at 11 a.m. Saturday and Gonzaga on Sunday, April 3 at 10 a.m. Admission is free to the Degheri Tennis Center.
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