The last seven opponents have been left seeing double from the fast-striking rackets of the No. 39-ranked Long Beach State women’s tennis team.
Winners of eight consecutive matches, the 49ers may have had the usually solid singles play led by junior Hannah Grady, senior Stephanie Bengson and freshman Deborah Armstrong, but the cohesiveness of the players in doubles action has played an equally effective role in the team’s big month-long run to an 11-4 record, first amongst Big West Conference teams.
The 49ers’ last loss was a 6-1 setback at Arizona State that dropped the team to 3-4 on the season, but their only point that day came off of a 2-1 win in doubles play, and that has certainly turned into a streak of its own. In fact, LBSU has taken the doubles point in 12 consecutive matches.
Head coach Jenny Hilt-Costello said she has seen a difference in the team’s on-court personality and believes it’s a combination of two things.
“Each match, the girls have wanted to learn something, and our goal has always been to improve as the season progresses,” Hilt-Costello said.
And they have done just that. 5-2 in the fall, Bengson and Grady have propelled to an 11-3 mark in the spring and a No. 31 national ranking. Despite losing their most recent set to Nevada’s Carolina Bailly and No. 40-ranked singles player Maria Mizyuk, (ranked 58th in the nation), Bengson and Grady have been hot whether the team wins the match or not, as they won 11 straight before the loss. The duo knocked off Penn’s Ekaterina Kosminskaya and Julia Koulbitskaya, 24th in the nation in doubles play, 8-4 in LBSU’s 4-3 victory over the Quakers March 13 at El Dorado Park in Long Beach.
But the tag team action doesn’t stop with Grady and Bengson, who have a 16-5 mark for the year. The freshman tandem of Armstrong and Lisa Sutton have been just as explosive, as they have won 10 consecutive matches to compile a 11-2 mark this season. And coming on strong is junior Jessica Weeks and freshman Stephanie Jeanes, who have jumped out to a 9-5 record and won six of seven doubles matches during the winning streak.
The 11th-year head coach, who currently holds LBSU women’s tennis coaching records in single season and career wins, including career winning percentage, summed up doubles play in one word – excellent.
“The personalities of the players click real well,” Hilt-Costello said. “We’re spending a lot of time in practice competing in doubles.”
What has been surprising in the ability of these players to compete together has been the sudden impact of Sutton (8-4 in singles play) and Jeanes (11-4), both of whom weren’t around in the fall season.
Armstrong, who did compete for LBSU in the fall, has a 10-5 singles record in the spring and has recorded a victory in doubles play with four different players (freshman Lisa Hagele, Grady, Weeks and Sutton) for the year.
“We’re very young, but our freshmen have played very well,” Hilt-Costello said. “Stephanie [Jeanes] has a power game. It’s had a huge impact.”
Seemingly at the top of their game, the 49ers will bring that doubles dominance into Malibu tomorrow at 1:30 p.m., as No. 18-ranked Pepperdine lies in wait. The No. 48-ranked duo of Anete Bandere and No. 57-ranked singles player Anamika Bhargava will likely challenge Bengson and Grady, as LBSU will meet its biggest challenge since beginning a month-long winning streak.
“Obviously, Pepperdine is very talented,” Hilt-Costello said. “Every match is an opportunity to play better.”
