Every Sun Devil on the singles court won their match in two sets, leading the No. 20 ASU tennis team to a 7–0 victory over NAU in Tempe on Friday.
Coach Sheila McInerney said she expected to win against NAU (2–5), but a victory is always something to be thankful for, especially after a long break.
“I think the best thing about today was that we hadn’t played in almost two weeks, so just getting a match under our belt before we go to California next week is good,” McInerney said.
ASU (5–1) won all three doubles matches to get off to a good start against NAU and quickly took control of the match.
Junior Hannah James won the first singles point, going 6–0, 6–3 over junior Nicole Perez.
Freshman Joanna Smith held junior Alice Pacaut to one point over the two sets, winning 6–0, 6–1.
Though the Sun Devils dominated the Lumberjacks, McInerney was quick to give them credit.
“NAU is overmatched against us, but they competed hard,” McInerney said. “I tell our kids all the time the way you respect the opponent is by going out there and just beating them as badly as you can.”
Next weekend, the Sun Devils will face a higher caliber of competition when they travel to Malibu, Calif., to play Boise State and Pepperdine.
This win enhances the Sun Devils’ momentum and will motivate them throughout their week of practice.
“Winning always helps, no matter how well we’re doing,” McInerney said. “The kids have the weekend off, but they know what’s ahead of them, and they’ll be ready.”
Reach the reporter at dkmcinty@asu.edu
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