Redlands, CA- The Ephs have maintained their perfect season, advancing to 7-0 after triumphing over the No. 10 ranked Redlands 4-1.. This match piloted Division 1 formatting, featuring a single doubles point and doubles matches played to 6 games rather than 8 games. Despite these adjustments, the Ephs achieved their first top-10 victory of the season against the Bulldogs.
Heading into the doubles matches, the Ephs were well aware of the challenge ahead. Redlands, having an impressive season, was expected to start strong. Securing the doubles point was seen as essential for setting the tone of the match. Yuu Ishikawa and Erica Ekstrand successfully overcame Redlands' top doubles team with a convincing 6-1 win, signaling promising potential as the season advances. In the #3 doubles match, Margaux Molyneux and Ahn Lin put up a valiant effort against a well-synchronized duo but were defeated 6-2. Meanwhile, Jane Ladaga and Annabelle Siegel quickly took the lead at #2 doubles, going up 5-2. Despite their opponents' strategic comeback narrowing the gap to 5-4, the Eph duo utilized Siegel's baseline power to allow Ladaga to execute flawless volleys that went unmatched, securing a 6-4 victory. This clinched the doubles point for the Ephs, establishing a 1-0 lead in the overall match score.
In singles competition, Ladaga quickly secured a win at #5 singles with a score of 6-2, 6-2. Her strength from behind the baseline and at the net forced numerous errors from her opponent. Close behind her, Ananya Aggarwal stayed true to her consistent playing style to secure a 6-2, 6-1 win at #6 singles. These wins brought the Ephs' to a 3-0 lead, but the matches on the four remaining courts were close.
Ekstrand played extremely aggressive tennis, engaging in long and hard-hitting rallies at #1 singles. However, her opponent remained steady throughout the entire match and she fell 6-4, 6-2. Annabelle Siegel and Mia Thomann both took some time to settle into their matches at #3 and #4 singles, dropping their first sets 6-4 and 6-1, respectively. Nonetheless, they quickly adapted. Both pressured their opponents: Siegel with her power and Thomann with her consistency, tying the matches at one set each. The final sets were tightly contested. Siegel jumped out to a 5-3 lead, but a rowdy crowd gave her opponent the confidence to come back and level the set at 5-5. Thomann, on the other hand, got off to a slow start, finding herself down 5-2. However, after regaining focus, she took back the momentum to get the match back on serve at 5-4.
Amid these intense matches, Ishikawa was locked in a tough battle on court #2 against a seasoned opponent. Ishikawa started off trailing 2-5 in the first set. Displaying her notorious resilience, she fought back to take the first set 7-6(3) and was racing her teammates to the clinch. As the pressure mounted on all three courts, Ishikawa kept her cool, breaking her opponent's serve with a daring forehand winner to secure the victory. Since the dual match was played to clinch, Siegel and Thomann's matches were left unfinished, cementing the Ephs' 4-1 win against their highest-ranked opponents so far.
In a post-match debrief, Eph head coach Anik Cepeda exclaimed, "That was a gritty win. I am so proud of this team for all their efforts, despite what was out of their control today. I look forward to seeing everything that can be accomplished this season." The Ephs' schedule does not get any easier, as they next face No. 3 ranked Pomona-Pitzer on Sunday at 3 PM PDT.
Results:
Doubles:
1) Ishikawa/Ekstrand vs. L. Rockwood/Deng 6-1
2) Siegel/Ladaga vs. Brady/O'Brien 6-4
3) Molyneux/Lin vs. G. Rockwood/Sugai 2-6
Singles:
1) Ekstrand vs. Deng 4-6, 2-6
2) Ishikawa vs. L. Rockwood 7-6(3), 6-4
3) Siegel vs. Sugai 4-6, 6-3, 5-5 (unf.)
4) Thomann vs. Brady 1-6, 6-2, 4-5 (unf.)
5) Ladaga vs. O'Brien 6-2, 6-2
6) Aggarwal vs. G. Rockwood 6-2, 6-1
