Despite one of the deepest fields ever at the NCAA women’s tennis championships, the ASU women’s tennis team gave a strong performance, and returned home with a new All-American.
All players that reach the quarterfinals in both the singles and doubles competitions achieve the honor. Freshman Jacqueline Cako automatically received All-American status after being seeded 12 at the tournament overall.
However, Cako could only make it to the round of 16 falling in straight sets to Cal’s Mari Andersson, 6-3, 6-0.
Cako faced off against Andersson twice before this season and won twice, but was not able to pull off the third.
“She had really high aspirations and wanted to go on and win the thing,” ASU coach Sheila McInerney said. “I thought she was quite nervous in the match, and Andersson is pretty experienced. She’s a senior, a very good player, and she actually sort of took it to Jacqueline. She could never get going in that match.”
Before that match, however, McInerney said Cako played excellently. She opened up the tournament with a comeback win over Florida freshman Olivia Janowicz (3-6, 6-1, 6-0) and then cruised through the round of 32, defeating Sacramento State’s Tatsiana Kapshai 6-4, 6-3 before falling to Andersson.
Seniors Kelcy McKenna and Micaela Hein fought their way to a victory in the opening round of the doubles tournament against Alabama’s Alexa Guarachi and Courtney McLane, taking the match 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
However, McKenna and Hein would fall in the round of 16 just like Cako. The duo lost in straight sets to Stanford’s Hilary Barte and Mallory Burdette (7-5, 6-2).
Barte and Burdette would go on to claim the national title on Monday, and there is no shame is losing to a duo of that caliber, McInerney said.
“They were All-Americans in 2009, and that was probably the goal coming in, for them to win a couple rounds to get the quarterfinals,” McInerney said. “They played really well the first set (against Stanford) and just didn’t quite close it out, and the other team just sort of picked it up from there.”
The pair has played together since both were freshman, and were named All-Americans after reaching the quarterfinals together in 2009.
In the singles bracket, McKenna made it past the first round for the first time, taking down William and Mary’s Jeltje Loomans in a hard fought match, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. But she would fall in the round of 32 to Barte (6-1, 6-3).
“I thought she played well, especially in the second set, but Hilary was better,” McInerney said.
The Sun Devils knew going into the tournament that they were going to have a tough time making a deep run. More important, McInerney said, was that the team got the most out of its time at the national championships.
“I wanted them to enjoy it,” she said. “You’re with the top 64 singles and 34 doubles players in the country, and to be part of that is always nice. They enjoyed the experience and have been a part of it quite a few years. It’s a good way to end.”
Top-seeded Jana Juricova from Cal took home the women’s singles title, while Florida upset previously undefeated Stanford to win the team national championship.
Reach the reporter at elijah.grasser@asu.edu
