Gonzaga University
Hawai'i
Zags Remain Unbeaten with 4-3 Thriller
3/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
HONOLULU--The Gonzaga University women's tennis team picked up a thrilling 4-3 win at Hawaii Tuesday evening, winning four three-set singles matches to clinch the program's best start to a dual season in history.
"I was so impressed with the way we competed today," said Gonzaga women's tennis head coach D.J. Gurule. "It was truly an amazing match for both teams."
After losing the doubles point to begin the match, the Zags needed to win four of the six singles contests, all of which went three sets. The Rainbow Wahine took a two-point lead after a win on court four, but Kate Ketels stemmed the tide for the Zags, beating Klara Pribylova 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 on court six. The win was her fifth when going three sets this season.
At No. 3 singles, Graciela Rosas evened the dual with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory, and Haruna Tsuruta put the Zags ahead with a win on court five. The freshman took her first set and went to a tiebreak in the second before winning her final frame 6-2.
With Gonzaga up 3-2, sophomore Nevada Apollo clinched the comeback victory atop the singles lineup, downing nationally-ranked Cindy Nguyen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. It's the Las Vegas native's third consecutive win at No. 1 singles.
Hawaii picked up its final point of the day on court two, where Marina Hruba edged Sophie Whittle in three sets.
"For us to come out on top in this match is a testament to how hard the team works every day," Gurule said. "I am very proud of the whole team. It was a team win today."
The victory moved Gonzaga to 7-0 on the 2017 dual season, the best start to a season in program history. Their six previous matches took place at home inside The Stevens Center in Spokane; the contest at Hawaii was the Zags first road match of the season.
The Zags look to finish their time on the Hawaiian Islands with another win when they face Fresno State on Thursday, March 16. That neutral-site showdown will begin at 1:00 p.m. Pacific (10:00 a.m. Hawaiian), again in Honolulu.
Gonzaga 4, Hawaii 3
Mar 14, 2017 at Honolulu, Hawaii
Singles:
1. Apollo, Nevada (GON) def. #105 Cindy Nguyen (UH) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
2. Marina Hruba (UH) def. Whittle, Sophie (GON) 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3
3. Rosas, Graciela (GON) def. Roxanne Resma (UH) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
4. Michelle Pits (UH) def. Bourguignon, Alex (GON) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
5. Tsuruta, Haruna (GON) def. Nikola Dolakova (UH) 6-3, 6-7 (7-9), 6-2
6. Ketels, Kate (GON) def. Klara Pribylova (UH) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
Doubles:
1. Cindy Nguyen/Klara Pribylova (UH) def. APOLLO, Nevada/GARLEY, Domonique (GON) 7-6 (7-4)
2. WHITTLE, Sophie/KETELS, Kate (GON) def. Michelle Pits/Roxanne Resma (UH) 6-4
3. Marina Hruba/Nikola Dolakova (UH) def. BOURGUIGNON, Alex/ROSAS, Graciela (GON) 6-4
Match Notes:
Gonzaga 7-0
Hawaii 8-3
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,6,3,5,1,2)
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
4,6,3,5,1,2
