Ephs Defeat CalTech 8-1

Pasadena, CA - The Ephs showcased yet another impressive performance today against a challenging Cal Tech team. Despite facing some tough moments, the Ephs  secured an 8-1 victory.

The momentum from the doubles matches yesterday continued, with all pairs demonstrating their dominance on the court. In the #1 doubles match, Erica Ekstrand and Yuu Ishikawa covered the court exceptionally, securing an 8-1 win. Annabelle Siegel and Jane Ladaga clinched an 8-2 victory at #2, while at #3, Margaux Molyneux and Ahn Lin displayed excellent teamwork to win 8-1.

Holding a 3-0 lead entering the singles matches, the Ephs remained confident yet cautious, aware of the Beavers' resilience. In #1 singles, Ekstrand put pressure on her opponent with powerful returns, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win under the Californian sun, a notable improvement after a tough match against Whitman. Mia Thomann clinched the victory for the Ephs at #4 singles, overcoming a 0-3 deficit in the second set to win 6-4, 6-3.

Ananya Aggarwal faced a challenging start at #5 singles, losing the first set 6-0. However, by staying patient and close to the baseline, she turned the match around and won the next two sets 6-3, 6-1. At #3 singles, Siegel battled against a notoriously tricky opponent. Despite being pushed to her limits, she emerged victorious with scores of 6-2, 4-6, 6-0. In the #2 singles match, Yuu Ishikawa's patience paid off, securing a hard-earned 6-2, 7-6(3) win. Molyneux faced a tough opponent at #6, matching each other closely, but ultimately she fell short in a tight match,  7-6(3), 2-6, 9-11.

Eph head coach Cepeda commented "CalTech always tests our shot tolerance and I love it. In doubles the pairs are starting to understand the benefits of closing tight to net from the start. In singles they were forced to puzzle through how to make their opponents uncomfortable. It was a good day — we're looking forward to applying the lessons we learned today on Friday against Redlands!" The Ephs look forward to having 2 days to recover before facing No. 10 Redlands on Friday at 3 PM PDT. 

Results:
Doubles:
1) Ekstrand/Ishikawa vs. Patel/Ramsperger 8-1
2) Siegel/Ladaga vs. Arora/Bechetrit 8-2
3) Molyneux/Lin vs. Zhang/Szczuka 8-1

Singles:
1) Ekstrand vs. Zhang 6-2, 6-3
2) Ishikawa vs. Ramsperger 6-2, 7-6(3)
3) Siegel vs. Bechetrit 6-2, 4-6, 0-6
4) Thomann vs. Arora 6-4, 6-3
5) Aggarwal vs. Patel 0-6, 6-3, 6-1
6) Molyneux vs. Szcuzka 7-6(3), 2-6, 0-1(9)