For the first time at home this season, the ASU tennis team donned its black uniforms and then blacked out the Spartans.
The Sun Devils shut out San Jose State 7-0 Wednesday in their first action since their Jan. 26 loss to No. 9 Miami.
It looked more like the Sun Devils had only missed one day and not 17. ASU won all but one singles match in straight sets.
“I thought we played really well, particularly (since) we haven’t played a match in almost three weeks,” head coach Sheila McInerney said. "I thought Leighann (Sahagun) played great … but I thought overall everybody sort of took care of business.”
Sophomore Leighann Sahagun, who normally plays out of the No. 4 slot, moved up in the lineup to the No. 2 position in place of injured freshman Desirae Krawczyk. Krawczyk played in doubles but not singles.
Sahagun was apprehensive about playing higher up.
“I was so nervous,” Sahagun said. “At first it was easy for me, it was like, ‘OK, we’re playing a match.’ Then I started to think about it more. I was like ‘ Oh my god, I still have a good record I want to keep it.'”
The first set went well for Sahagun winning 6-2, but the next set would not go as smoothly.
After being up 3-2 at one point, Sahagun would fall behind and would eventually lose the set 5-7 (9-11) in a tiebreaker.
“I got very anxious," Sahagun said. "I kind of just tried to go through her (and) tried hit through her instead of playing my points smart.”
With the match tied at a set apiece, Sahagun found a hole in her opponent’s game and capitalized on it.
“After I lost the second set I realized she was making a lot of mistakes, although I was too, but I was more calm,” Sahagun said. “I just took my time and just played my points smart instead of trying to go for big shots right away.”
Sahagun won the final match breaker 10-3 to keep her perfect record intact.
While Sahagun was able to keep her undefeated record alive, San Jose State’s Julianna Bacelar wasn’t so fortunate.
ASU sophomore Joanna Smith put the breaks on Bacelar’s 11-match winning streak decisively, winning 6-2, 6-3.
Senior Jacqueline Cako also put a damper on the Spartan’s Klaudia Boczova momentum. Boczova was coming off a big win over then No. 26-ranked singles player sophomore Katie Le of Santa Clara.
Cako and Boczova played back-and-forth, trading games in the first set but Cako ultimately won 6-4.
“I felt just a little bit off, my forehand was kind of spraying everywhere, it was more just mental than anything,” Cako said. “She was putting pressure on me. She was cracking the ball and she was making a lot of shots. It was pretty tough.”
Cako took command in the second set winning 6-0.
The Sun Devils’ next matches are against Fresno State and Santa Clara on Feb. 16 and Feb. 17 at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
Results
Singles
Jacqueline Cako def. Klaudia Boczova: 6-4, 6-0
Leighann Sahagun def. Sabastiani Leon Chao: 6-2, 6-7 (9-11), (1)(10-3)
Stephanie Vlad def. Chau Truong:6-1, 6-3
Ebony Panoho def. Erica Medlin: 6-4, 6-1
Joanna Smith def. Julianna Bacelar: 6-2, 6-3
Hannah James def. Jessica Willett: 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
Cako/Nicole Smith def. Chao/Medlin: 8-5
Boczova/Willett def. Joanna Smith/Panoho: 8-3
Sahagun/Krawczyk def. Truong/Bacelar: 8-3
Reach the reporter at eric.smith@asu.edu
