The 43rd-ranked Long Beach State women’s tennis team (4-1) fought its way to a 4-3 victory over Cal State Northridge on Saturday at the Rhodes Tennis Center.
Coming away with the clutch win after losing her first set, 6-3, was junior Anais Dallara, who then defeated Jennifer Sher, 6-3, 6-4, to decide the match.
“We were all down at that point,” the No. 1 LBSU singles player said. “And I was like, ‘This just can’t happen.’
“There’s no way I’m gonna lose that match.”
LBSU No. 3 singles player Sarah Cantlay — whose personal four-match winning streak was snapped against Hawaii — also came up with a big win against Anna Yang, 6-2, 6-3.
49ers junior Rachel Manasse came back from being down 5-4 early in the first set to win 7-5, 6-3 over Maria Pistalu at the No. 6 spot. Sophomore Anna Jeczmionka eased her way to victory against Nigora Sirojiddinova at the No. 4 slot, 6-2, 6-1.
Sophomore Jaklin Alawi, The Beach’s No. 2 player, struggled against Brooke Doane. Alawi lost her match in three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Also losing her singles match was No. 3 singles player and senior Deborah Armstrong, who fell 6-3, 6-1 to Nina Jaworowski.
Doubles play was as hard as singles, with two of The Beach’s doubles partners losing their respective matches.
The No. 1 duo, Dallara and Armstrong, fell to CSUN’s top duo, Doane and Sher, 8-5. Alawi and Jeczmionka were defeated by Pistalu and Sabrina Man-Son-Hing at No. 3 action, 9-7.
The only win in doubles play came at the No. 2 spot with Cantlay and Julie Luzar defeating Jaworowski and Yang, 8-6.
49ers head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello was happy to pull away with the win, despite the team’s struggles.
“We clearly have work to do in our doubles,” Hilt-Costello said, “and that’s gonna be our focus, you know, over the next week.”
LBSU’s next match is against Nevada at the Rhodes Tennis Center on Sunday at 11 a.m.
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