The ITA announced this morning that it has formed a new strategic alliance with Arizona State University and is in the process of moving its headquarters from Princeton, New Jersey, to Tempe, Arizona. The full release is down below and hopefully this will clear the way for the return of the Arizona State men’s team which was dropped back in 2008.
I wrote another piece for the Tennis Recruiting Network that came out on Wednesday about the Road to Tulsa. I talked about the teams that I think are national title contenders, the teams that are in the next wave, and the teams just off the cuff. I also mentioned the bigger matches that will be coming up in the month of April with two huge ones tomorrow. If you didn’t catch it yesterday give it a read today at this link.
There weren’t any ranked men’s teams in action today but there were several women’s teams playing. The biggest upset of the day saw No. 25 Texas A&M roll into Columbia and came away with a 6-1 win over No. 8 South Carolina. The match started outdoors but moved indoors during singles play. Texas A&M took the doubles point and picked up wins on every singles court except No. 2.
#25 Texas A&M 6, #8 South Carolina 1
March 31, 2016 at Columbia, SC – Carolina Tennis Center (outdoors)/USC Field House (indoors)
Singles Competition
1. #32 Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) def. #67 Caroline Dailey (SC), 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
2. #75 Ingrid Gamarra Martins (SC) def. Rachel Pierson (A&M), 7-5, 7-5
3. Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. #102 Paige Cline (SC), 7-6 (5), 6-4
4. Ines Deheza (A&M) def. #89 Hadley Berg (SC), 6-3, 6-2
5. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) def. Brigit Folland (SC), 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
6. Anna Mamalat (A&M) def. Ximena Siles Luna (SC), 2-6, 4-2 (retired)
Doubles Competition
1. #42 Eva Paalma/Pierson (A&M) def. #34 Berg/Cline (SC), 7-6 (3)
2. #44 Bhosale/Mamalat (A&M) def. Dailey/Folland (SC), 6-2
3. Gamarra Martins/Rachel Rohrabacher (SC) def. Deheza/ Gonzalez (A&M), 6-1
Match Notes
Order of finish; Singles (4,2,3,1,6,5); Doubles (2,3,1)
Texas A&M: 13-7, 5-4 SEC; National ranking #25
South Carolina: 14-4, 6-2 SEC; National ranking #8
Post-Match Quotes from Texas A&M’s recap
“This was overall a great win for our team,” A&M first-year head coach Mark Weaver said. “I am so proud and happy for our group of young ladies. We have faced some adversity in recent weeks, and they couldn’t have responded any better today with a very decisive road win against a strong team in South Carolina.”
“We won a very difficult doubles point, which is one of South Carolina’s strengths,” Weaver said. “Rutuja and Anna won decisively in the doubles, and Rachel and Eva came up with their best tennis when the doubles point was on the line.”
“We had a decent start in the singles, but not great,” Weaver added. “Once the rain came, we talked things over in the locker room, and once we moved indoors, the match took on a completely different look. Everyone on our team raised their energy and raised their level of play. Before much tennis had been played inside, it was very obvious to me that we were going to be in a great position to get it done today.”
Another upset came in Salt Lake City as No. 74 Utah upset No. 39 Fresno State 4-3 with Taylor Calton winning the deciding match at No. 5 singles in a third set tiebreak.
#74 Utah 4, #39 Fresno State 3
March 31, 2016 at Salt Lake City (Eccles Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Mayar Sherif Ahmed (FRST) def. Margo Pletcher (UTAH) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2
2. Sophie Watts (FRST) def. Sarah Richter (UTAH) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. Brianna Turley (UTAH) def. Rana Sherif Ahmed (FRST) 7-5, 6-1
4. Jena Cheng (UTAH) def. Galina Bykova (FRST) 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
5. Taylor Calton (UTAH) def. Anneka Watts (FRST) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Sofya Malysheva (FRST) def. Alexia Petrovic (UTAH) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Margo Pletcher/Brianna Turley (UTAH) def. Mayar Sherif Ahmed/Rana Sherif Ahmed (FR) 6-3
2. Sophie Watts/Anneka Watts (FRST) def. Sarah Richter/Alexia Petrovic (UTAH) 4-3
3. Taylor Calton/Luisa Da Rosa (UTAH) def. Sofya Malysheva/Olivia Noble (FRST) 6-2
Match Notes:
Fresno State 12-7; National ranking #39
Utah 10-8; National ranking #74
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 1); Singles (3,6,2,1,4,5)
Post-Match Quote from Utah’s recap
“This was an excellent win as both freshmen were winners at the doubles position, Utah Head Coach Mat Iandolo said. “Freshmen Brianna Turley and sophomore Margo Pletcher beat the #18 (doubles) team in the country to secure the doubles point.
when ASU adds a men's team will they go after the Texas Tech coach?