Orange, CA -- The Ephs bounced back today with a 9-0 win over the Chapman University Panthers. This marks their 3rd clean sweep of the season, improving their overall record to 8-1.
Doubles got off to a great start with all three pairs finding their grooves early on. At #1 doubles, Yuu Ishikawa and Erica Ekstrand took care of business against an aggressive team. They took advantage of their extraordinary teamwork on court to secure the first point for the Ephs' 8-1. Margaux Molyneux and Ahn Lin utilized new plays at #3 doubles to secure a convincing 8-1 win. At #2 doubles, Jane Ladaga and Annabelle Siegel had a more competitive match compared to their teammates. After initially going up 4-1, their opponents battled back to level the match at 5-5. From there, Siegel and Ladaga managed to take control and won the next three games for an 8-5 victory.
After going up 3-0, the Ephs looked to continue the momentum in singles play. Siegel took off at #2 singles, managing to win 6-1, 6-0 in just 40 minutes. At #3 singles, Mia Thomann had a close first couple of games against an opponent who enjoyed coming to net. By using lobs and passing shots, Thomann won with a score of 6-4, 6-1 and clinched the match for the Ephs. At #4 singles, Ladaga followed closely behind with a score of 6-1, 6-2. Accelerating fast on her forehand and closing in at net, Ladaga diffused her opponent's heavy ground strokes.
Ananya Aggarwal had a slow start at #5, going down 5-4 in the first set. However, her trademark consistency and a few stunning backhand winners turned the tide, allowing her to capture the next 8 games to win the match 7-5, 6-2. Julia Zhang won an exhibition singles match before unexpectedly being thrown into the lineup. Despite the quick turnaround, she flew through the opening set 6-2. Her opponent began the second set playing more consistently and went up 4-1, but Zhang refused to drop the set and came back to win 7-6(3). At the #1 singles spot, Ekstrand played her aggressive game to win the first set. However, she similarly went down 4-1 in the second and staged a resilient comeback to close the match out at 6-2, 7-5.
In a post-match debrief Eph head Coach Cepeda said, "That was a great match to close out this trip. I am proud of the team for taking care of business today." The Ephs will be spending the rest of spring break preparing for a tough test against No. 4 ranked Middlebury in their return to NESCAC play.
