Sunday, March 5
Seattle, WA
11:00 AM
University of Washington
5
vs
2
USC
Another Statement Made With Win Over Trojans
March 05, 2023 | Women's Tennis
SEATTLE – UCLA and USC couldn't handle the Washington reign. The Husky women's tennis team backed up its big win over UCLA on Friday by making more history today, knocking off USC at the Nordstrom Tennis Center for just the second sweep of the SoCal schools in UW history, and the first since 2003.
Four singles matches went into third sets today, and Washington came out on top in all four, to post the 5-2 victory and improve to 10-3 and 2-0 in Pac-12 play. The clincher came on court two, where Sarah-Maude Fortin broke out of some recent struggles and pulled away in her third set to topple 24th-ranked Eryn Cayetano, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2.
"If there's a team to do it, it's this one," said Head Coach Robin Stephenson. "They believe in themselves. They want it. They are just buying in to the culture and how much they care and how hard they work. It shows; they're playing for each other out there. I don't honestly even think we're playing our best tennis yet, we're just competing and fighting and finding ways. Beating UCLA and USC back to back is not easy, but we have a lot to play for. The girls set some high goals and they're going after them."
After winning the doubles point for the second time this weekend, the Dawgs wore down USC with wins from the Columbia Lions turned Huskies Jennifer Kerr, and Melissa Sakar, both in third sets. After Fortin sealed it, Astrid Olsen rallied back from 3-5 down in her third for another big ranked win over the nation's No. 43 Snow Han.
Fortin, called "Smiff" by coaches and teammates, was the match that stood out most to Stephenson.
"Today was a full team effort from the first moment in doubles, but 'Smiff' has been having a hard time and fighting herself a lot and not had the results she's wanted," said Stephenson. "We've been working on her not losing belief, and she wants it so bad, and she came out today with a fresh mindset and trusted herself. For her to clinch the match, and beat one of the best players in the country who she's never beat before, is unbelievable for her and the team."
The Huskies secured the doubles point and took the early 1-0 lead. Zehra Suko and Hikaru Sato set the tone by upsetting 19th-ranked Han/Cheong, 6-3, at No. 1 doubles. Fortin and Erika Matsuda clinch the point for the Dawgs with a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles. UW also had a 5-4 lead on the second court.
"We've switched the lineup, changed teams, tried so many combinations," Stephenson said on UW's recent doubles improvement. "For them to just trust us and trust the process, the goal was to find the best three teams we could, and they've got their energy in the right place and are playing the right way. It took a little time, but they've worked to get to this point. When we win the doubles point, we think there's three points for sure out there for us (in singles)."
USC got the only two straight set singles wins to take the 2-1 lead, before Washington returned fire.
Hikaru Sato faced off against 4th-ranked Madison Sieg but fell short, 2-6, 3-6, at No. 1 singles. Erika Matsuda lost to Grace Piper, 6-7, 4-6, at No. 6 singles.
The rally was on when Jennifer Kerr defeated Naomi Cheong, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 4 singles, once again coming up clutch for the Dawgs as she runs her dual record to 10-1. Melissa Sakar then wore down Emma Charney and won the final eight games in a row to make it 3-2 with the 1-6, 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles. Sakar has won third sets in three of her past four matches.
Fortin took her first set with Cayetano, 7-6 (7-2) but couldn't put away the top-25 Trojan, dropping the second set, 4-6. But Fortin made a quick run out to a 5-1 third set lead and despite missing a couple match point chances in the next game, she finished on her fourth match point chance for the 6-2 win.
Astrid Olsen matched up against 43rd-ranked Snow Han and came out on top with bookend set wins, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, at No. 3 singles, after fighting off match points at 3-5 and 4-5.
The Huskies will have a week to rest before the Pac-12 season keeps chugging along with Arizona State coming on March 17th at 1:30pm.
Washington Women's Tennis
March 5, 2023
Seattle, Wash. | Nordstrom Tennis Center
#26 Washington – 5
#31 USC – 2
Singles
1. (#4) Madison Sieg (USC) def. (#100) Hikaru Sato (UW) – 6-2, 6-3
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. (#24) Eryn Cayetano (USC) – 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2
3. Astrid Olsen (UW) def. (#43) Snow Han (USC) – 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
4. (#93) Jennifer Kerr (UW) def. Naomi Cheong (USC) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
5. Melissa Sakar (UW) def. (#124) Emma Charney (USC) – 1-6, 7-5, 6-0
6. Grace Piper (USC) def. Erika Matsuda (UW) – 7-6 (3), 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 6, 4, 5, 2, 3
Doubles
1. Sato/Suko (UW) def. (#19) Han/Cheong (USC) – 6-3
2. Olsen/Kerr (UW) vs. (#29) Cayetano/Sieg (USC) – 5-4, DNF
3. Fortin/Matsuda (UW) def. Piper/Rodilosso (USC) – 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3
Four singles matches went into third sets today, and Washington came out on top in all four, to post the 5-2 victory and improve to 10-3 and 2-0 in Pac-12 play. The clincher came on court two, where Sarah-Maude Fortin broke out of some recent struggles and pulled away in her third set to topple 24th-ranked Eryn Cayetano, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2.
"If there's a team to do it, it's this one," said Head Coach Robin Stephenson. "They believe in themselves. They want it. They are just buying in to the culture and how much they care and how hard they work. It shows; they're playing for each other out there. I don't honestly even think we're playing our best tennis yet, we're just competing and fighting and finding ways. Beating UCLA and USC back to back is not easy, but we have a lot to play for. The girls set some high goals and they're going after them."
So long, SoCal ??
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) March 6, 2023
The Huskies are 2?-0? in the Pac#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/Oke8CoInu5
After winning the doubles point for the second time this weekend, the Dawgs wore down USC with wins from the Columbia Lions turned Huskies Jennifer Kerr, and Melissa Sakar, both in third sets. After Fortin sealed it, Astrid Olsen rallied back from 3-5 down in her third for another big ranked win over the nation's No. 43 Snow Han.
Fortin, called "Smiff" by coaches and teammates, was the match that stood out most to Stephenson.
"Today was a full team effort from the first moment in doubles, but 'Smiff' has been having a hard time and fighting herself a lot and not had the results she's wanted," said Stephenson. "We've been working on her not losing belief, and she wants it so bad, and she came out today with a fresh mindset and trusted herself. For her to clinch the match, and beat one of the best players in the country who she's never beat before, is unbelievable for her and the team."
The Huskies secured the doubles point and took the early 1-0 lead. Zehra Suko and Hikaru Sato set the tone by upsetting 19th-ranked Han/Cheong, 6-3, at No. 1 doubles. Fortin and Erika Matsuda clinch the point for the Dawgs with a 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles. UW also had a 5-4 lead on the second court.
"We've switched the lineup, changed teams, tried so many combinations," Stephenson said on UW's recent doubles improvement. "For them to just trust us and trust the process, the goal was to find the best three teams we could, and they've got their energy in the right place and are playing the right way. It took a little time, but they've worked to get to this point. When we win the doubles point, we think there's three points for sure out there for us (in singles)."
No jokes around here! ??
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) March 5, 2023
JK wins her third set and ties up the match for the Dawgs!
UW - 2
USC - 2#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/xRLH8BaJBk
USC got the only two straight set singles wins to take the 2-1 lead, before Washington returned fire.
Hikaru Sato faced off against 4th-ranked Madison Sieg but fell short, 2-6, 3-6, at No. 1 singles. Erika Matsuda lost to Grace Piper, 6-7, 4-6, at No. 6 singles.
The rally was on when Jennifer Kerr defeated Naomi Cheong, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 4 singles, once again coming up clutch for the Dawgs as she runs her dual record to 10-1. Melissa Sakar then wore down Emma Charney and won the final eight games in a row to make it 3-2 with the 1-6, 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 5 singles. Sakar has won third sets in three of her past four matches.
Fortin took her first set with Cayetano, 7-6 (7-2) but couldn't put away the top-25 Trojan, dropping the second set, 4-6. But Fortin made a quick run out to a 5-1 third set lead and despite missing a couple match point chances in the next game, she finished on her fourth match point chance for the 6-2 win.
Astrid Olsen matched up against 43rd-ranked Snow Han and came out on top with bookend set wins, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, at No. 3 singles, after fighting off match points at 3-5 and 4-5.
The Huskies will have a week to rest before the Pac-12 season keeps chugging along with Arizona State coming on March 17th at 1:30pm.
Washington Women's Tennis
March 5, 2023
Seattle, Wash. | Nordstrom Tennis Center
#26 Washington – 5
#31 USC – 2
Singles
1. (#4) Madison Sieg (USC) def. (#100) Hikaru Sato (UW) – 6-2, 6-3
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. (#24) Eryn Cayetano (USC) – 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-2
3. Astrid Olsen (UW) def. (#43) Snow Han (USC) – 6-4, 4-6, 7-5
4. (#93) Jennifer Kerr (UW) def. Naomi Cheong (USC) – 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
5. Melissa Sakar (UW) def. (#124) Emma Charney (USC) – 1-6, 7-5, 6-0
6. Grace Piper (USC) def. Erika Matsuda (UW) – 7-6 (3), 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 6, 4, 5, 2, 3
Doubles
1. Sato/Suko (UW) def. (#19) Han/Cheong (USC) – 6-3
2. Olsen/Kerr (UW) vs. (#29) Cayetano/Sieg (USC) – 5-4, DNF
3. Fortin/Matsuda (UW) def. Piper/Rodilosso (USC) – 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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