The ASU women’s tennis team won its first two dual meets of the 2012 season, defeating both UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara Jan. 21-22.
“We played two good teams, and we improved our play after Saturday,” coach Sheila McInerney said.
Saturday started with the pair of senior Michelle Brycki and freshman Joanna Smith defeating the UC Davis team of senior Dahra Zamudio and sophomore Nicole Koehly 8–0 and winning the doubles point.
“This was a big confidence booster, to get out straight away and wipe them off the court,” Brycki said. “I personally love team tennis. It’s gotten to the point that, after three years of this, I’d rather play for my team than just for myself.”
ASU won the two other doubles matches as well.
Sophomore Jacqueline Cako and junior Nicole Smith defeated sophomores Megan Heneghan and Kelly Chui 8–2, and senior Sianna Simmons and junior Hannah James beat juniors Lauren Curry and Ellie Edles 8–5.
“We did really well in doubles this weekend,” McInerney said.
In singles play, Cako lived up to her No. 9 ranking and defeated Zamudio 6–2, 6–1.
“This was my first match of the season,” Cako said. “I’m going to be a little shaky, but by the end, I was playing well and that’s all that matters.”
Simmons and Joanna Smith both won their singles matches and clinched the win for ASU.
“I was nervous coming into it because I hadn’t played as a team before,” Smith said. “It’s really exciting, and I love the team aspect.”
Simmons defeated Koehly 7–5, 6–1 and Smith beat Edles 6–2, 6–2.
ASU took the 4–3 win over UC Davis.
ASU started Sunday by taking all three doubles matches.
Cako and junior Nicole Smith won the first match 8–2 over seniors Natalia Lozano and Sofia Novak.
Brycki and Joanna Smith won 8–5 and Simmons and James won 8–3.
On the singles court, ASU only lost one of six matches, beating UC Santa Barbara 6–1.
McInerney said Brycki and Cako won their matches easily and got off the field early.
Hannah James’s match went to a tiebreaker against sophomore Kiersten Meehan, but James was able to take the victory.
“Hannah had a tough match,” McInerney said. “She played well in the first then faltered, but won the match-breaker.”
Joanna Smith and Simmons also defeated their singles opponents.
Nicole Smith, who has only recently started playing singles after years of injury, was defeated 6–2, 6–2 by freshman April Scatliffe.
Even with the loss, McInerney is pleased with the progress she sees Smith making.
“She’s been working really hard,” McInerney said. “It takes time to get her match instincts back.”
After a weekend of success, McInerney said her team will stay on track and prepare for their next competitors.
“We know we didn’t play our best, but it’s just the beginning,” McInerney said. “Every team runs their own race.”
Next weekend, the Sun Devils will host Texas Tech Jan. 28 and Sacramento State Jan. 29. If ASU beats Texas Tech on the 28th, they will face USC the next day.
After a weekend of validating success, the Sun Devils are ready to get back to work.
“The sum of our whole is greater than our parts,” McInerney said. “We need to take it one practice at a time.”
Reach the reporter at dkmcinty@asu.edu
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