The ASU women's tennis team used a 7-0 home victory against UC Irvine on Tuesday afternoon to extend its winning streak to three matches.
With the tough matches the Sun Devils played last week against No. 10 California and No. 13 USC, it was a change for them to easily take a sweeping victory.
ASU tennis coach Sheila McInerney wants her team to continue playing at a high level, even against teams that are ranked below them.
“I think in a match when you’re the better team, which we were today, to come out and take care of business is the main thing,” McInerney said. “I’m always a big believer in that. The kids played well and closed things off well.”
The No. 16 Sun Devils (11-3, 2-0 Pac-10) took the first point of the match by sweeping the doubles matches.
ASU seniors Micaela Hein and Kelcy McKenna started off the match by defeating UC Irvine junior Hannah Holladay and senior Becka Kwan (8-4).
Then ASU junior Michelle Brycki and freshman Jacqueline Cako took an 8-4 victory over Courtney Byron and Kristina Smith, while the duo of junior Sianna Simmons and senior Ashlee Brown beat UC Irvine twins Hayley and Miranda Young (8-3).
Brown clinched the win for the Sun Devils, finishing third in singles play, with a victory over freshman Brooke Schweyer (6-2, 6-2).
Hein finished first in singles with an easy 6-0, 6-2 victory over Smith in the No. 3 position.
Brycki followed Hein’s lead and defeated freshman Franziska Goettsching (6-3, 6-0), and Simmons beat Holladay 6-4, 6-2.
Cako easily pushed her singles winning streak to 17 straight matches with 6-1, 6-1 victory over Kwan.
“It was definitely an easier match,” Cako said. “I didn’t really feel any pressure. I just came out and did my job.”
McKenna lost her first set 6-4 to junior Courtney Byron, an Arizona native, but rallied back in the second set 6-4. In the tiebreaker McKenna took a 10-1 victory over Byron.
“We knew Courtney (Byron), UC Irvine’s No. 1, was a good player,” McInerney said. “After Kelcy (McKenna) lost the first set, coming back like she did was great.”
ASU sophomore Hannah James sat the match out due to an illness, and McInerney is uncertain as to when James will return.
The Sun Devils are now 7-1 at home and have the opportunity to earn another home victory Wednesday when they take on DePaul.
The Blue Demons have a slight health advantage over the Sun Devils and haven’t played a match since March 5, so they will be well rested.
Like UC Irvine, DePaul also features an Arizona native, freshman Kelsey Lawson from Tempe. Lawson attended Corona del Sol High School, where she won the 5A-1 singles title in 2009 and 2010.
McInerney said the biggest thing with consecutive matches is to go out and take care of business.
“We want to stay focused and concentrate well,” McInerney said.
Reach the reporter at nicole.klauss@asu.edu
