Pomona, CA- The Ephs faced No. 3 ranked Pomona-Pitzer early this morning after their match was pushed up due to possible rain. Many matches went toe to toe, but the Ephs fell to the Sagehens 8-1. Eph head coach Anik Cepeda reflects, "The scoreline was lopsided today, but we're not miles away. The coaches believe we're on the cusp of competing at a higher level and they're moving in a positive direction with building the team they want to be a part of this season."
In doubles, Yuu Ishikawa and Erica Ekstrand went down 4-1 quickly at #1 doubles. Their opponents had come out of the gate swinging, hitting huge serves and returns. After getting adjusted to the aggressive playing style, the pair upped the intensity and managed to bring the match back to 4-4. Despite their efforts, they ended up falling 8-5. At #3 doubles, freshman Margaux Molyneux and Ahn Lin also went down 4-1, however, they were able to find their comfort zone against two veteran opponents. After battling back to make it 6-6, the two ultimately lost 8-6. Jane Ladaga and Annabelle Siegel had many brilliant points at #2 doubles against a consistent and scrappy team. While they were up for the majority of the match, they lost by a slim margin 8-7 (3).
Trailing 3-0 entering the singles, the Ephs faced the daunting task of winning 5 out of 6 matches for victory. Annabelle Siegel at #3 singles swiftly scored a point for the Ephs, breaking down a talented freshman to secure a 6-4, 6-0 win. Mia Thomann, playing at #4, found herself down 6-2, 4-0, and despite a late surge, lost 6-2, 6-3. Jane Ladaga at #5 played her game against a very consistent opponent, executing impressive points at the net but ultimately lost 6-4, 6-3. At the #1 spot, Erica Ekstrand encountered her most challenging opponent yet, showing improvement but falling 6-4, 6-3. In the #6 singles match, Aggarwal dropped the first set 6-2 but battled back to a commanding position in the second. Despite having opportunities, she narrowly lost the second set 7-5. Yuu Ishikawa at #2 singles was on the verge of winning against a formidable player but fell just short, 6-4, 4-6, 0-1(2).
Regarding going forward, Eph head coach Anik Cepeda commented, "Thanks to Pomona for challenging us and making us uncomfortable. We're looking forward to Chapman tomorrow. It'll be an opportunity for the players to work on their decision-making, discipline, and execution, as well as their competitive body language between every point." The Ephs look forward to playing their last match in California tomorrow at 1 PM PDT.
Results:Â
Doubles:
1. Ishikawa/Ekstrand vs. Rha/Ye 5-8
2. Siegel/Ladaga vs. Markey/Kanefu 7-8(3)
3. Molyneux/Lin vs. Zhou/Poor 6-8
Singles:
1. Ekstrand vs. Zhou 4-6. 3-6
2. Ishikawa vs. Rha 6-4, 4-6, 0-1(2)
3. Siegel vs. Kanefu 6-4, 6-0
4. Thomann vs. Bazua 2-6, 3-6
5. Ladaga vs. Markey 4-6, 3-6
6. Aggarwal vs. Poor 2-6, 5-7
