Long Beach State women’s tennis dominated UC Riverside with a 7-0 sweep Friday at Rhodes Tennis Center.
Senior Hannah Grady secured the school record for all-time wins with 149 and the team improved to 3-0 in Big West Conference play.
First off the courts for doubles were freshmen Anais Dallara and Rachel Manasse, who steamrolled over sisters Nadia and Yasaman Sakhakorn, 8-0.
Both Grady/Jessica Weeks and Deborah Armstrong/Lisa Sutton also picked up doubles wins, therefore giving the 49ers (5-3) a one-point lead going into singles play.
Armstrong only dropped three games to Donna McCullough, winning 6-2, 6-1.
Fellow teammate Sutton wrapped up her match, 6-0, 6-4 against Ayana Simmons.
Dallara, the freshman from France, was in absolute control, winning the first set, 6-0. She dropped only three games in the second set.
Grady, while struggling to find her bearings in the first set, picked up her record-breaking victory against Erynne Oki, 6-3, 6-1.
The two closest and most competitive matches of the day were Julie Luzar against Yasaman Sakhakorn and Manasse battling Nadia Sakhakorn.
Luzar would battle her way to a 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Manasse, usually one of the first players off the court, was having difficulty over the moon-balling and rallying style of play from Nadia Sakhakorn.
While trailing 5-4 in the first set, Manasse picked up the last three games for the win. By the end of the second set, all eyes were on Court 3.
Manasse’s frustration was spilling out but she pulled it together for another 7-5 victory and the final win of the day.
The 49ers return to the Rhodes Tennis Center against visiting Saint Mary’s on Saturday at 10 a.m.
