No. 17 ASU women’s tennis had almost three weeks off between matches, but the team didn't show any signs of rust against the University of Nevada-Reno on Friday.
In weather conditions better suited for windsurfing, the Sun Devils (3-1) steamrolled to victory over the Wolfpack 7-0 at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe, and earned their second home shutout of the young season. In the process, ASU ended Nevada's three-match win streak.
GAME! SET! MATCH!#FistPump @kassidyjump wins 6-2, 6-3 to clinch the match 4-0 for @TheSunDevils! #ASUvsNEV pic.twitter.com/ax0O2A44z0
— Sun Devil Tennis (@sundeviltennis) February 17, 2017
Head coach Sheila McInerney was impressed with how dominant her team looked.
"I thought considering the circumstances with a three-week layoff and the wind, I thought we played really well — especially in the doubles," McInerney said. "There was probably 15-plus mile per hour winds, and they handled it very well and all but one won in straight sets."
As it has for much of this season, ASU wrapped up the doubles point quickly. Senior Kassidy Jump and sophomore Sammi Hampton won the first doubles match, 6-1. The pair claimed the first four games against freshman Milena Achlamov and junior Blaga Delic of the Wolfpack.
Senior Alex Osborne and junior Nicole-Fossa Huergo stayed undefeated for the regular season on court No. 1. The Sun Devils' top doubles duo, which appeared in the latest ITA doubles rankings for the first time at No. 44, clinched the doubles point for the Sun Devils with a 6-1 win.
Hampton’s match in singles might have not mattered on the scoreboard, but her teammates were glad to have her back on the court. She suffered a stress reaction in her shin, an injury that first occurred last season, on Jan. 29 against Texas Tech.
Hampton, ranked No. 51 in the ITA’s latest singles rankings, earned a 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7 tiebreak) victory over Morales on court No. 2. She got down in the second set before battling back, which forced a third-set tiebreak.
“I was really excited to finally be back out,” Hampton said. “I do not like losing, I knew I would figure my game out, and I did.”
SWEEP! @SammiHampster rallies back after dropping first set to win 10-point tiebreak in 3rd for 7-0 team victory! #ASUvsNEV pic.twitter.com/KFbbJmNUjG
— Sun Devil Tennis (@sundeviltennis) February 17, 2017
After the match, McInerney said Hampton will be re-evaluated next week before the team’s next match at the University of San Diego on Feb. 26.
For the singles matches that counted, junior Kelley Anderson earned the first point with a 6-1, 6-2, victory over Nevada sophomore Adriana Gergelyova on court No. 3.
Anderson, who earned her eighth-straight singles victory, has found her groove for ASU with improved foot movement and a fine-tuned forehand.
Senior Gussie O’Sullivan, known for her grind-it-out style, won all 12 games on court No. 6 against Achlamov.
Jump clinched her singles match with a 6-2, 6-3 win over junior Claudia Herrero on court No. 1.
Up Next:
The Sun Devils were originally scheduled to play the UNLV on Sunday, but with rain in the forecast, the match was postponed to Wednesday, March 22.
ASU will not play in front of its home crowd again until March 3, a matchup against No. 8 Pepperdine.
Reach the reporter at jpjacqu1@asu.edu or follow @joejacquezaz on Twitter.
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