University of Oregon
#1 USC
Rose Shines in Loss Against Top-Ranked USC
03/28/15 | Women's Tennis
EUGENE – The Oregon women's tennis fought valiantly on Friday at the UO Outdoor Tennis Courts against top-ranked USC, but couldn't quite pull off the upset as the Ducks fell 6-1.
How It Happened: The Ducks did everything they could, winning the first set in three of the singles matches, but was only able to grab one point. That one point however was a monumental win for Nia Rose, who proved she could play with the best on Friday as the freshman toppled Giuliana Olmos, the 11th-ranked player in the country, in a three-set thriller 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 at the No. 1 singles position. Rose's win over Olmos snapped a four-match winning, and handed the junior her first loss in Pac-12 play
USC took an early lead in the match after Olmos and Meredith Xepoleas bested Lina Åkesson and Sofia Hager, 8-2, at the No. 3 spot. Moments later, the 19th-ranked USC pair of Zoe Katz and Sabrina Santamaria defeated Oregon's No. 1 team of Rose and Alyssa Tobita by the same score, 8-2, to clinch the doubles point.
Nicole Long and Marlou Kluiving trailed Southern California's Gabby Smith and Madison Westby 7-5 before their match was abandoned.
The Trojans took an early 2-0 lead in singles action when Gabriella DiSimone took down Paloma Gomez 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6 singles.
Battling the 2013 NCAA doubles champion, Tobita did everything she could to make Santamaria earn every point. However, in the end, Tobita just couldn't quite get past her counterpart and fell 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 2 position.
USC clinched the match when Meredith Xepoleas, the 64th-ranked singles player, defeated Åkesson 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5.
Kluiving, Oregon's most consistent player all year was forced into a third set by USC's Smith after winning the first set 6-3. Her Trojan counterpart however completed the comeback to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-3and hand Kluiving her first loss in singles play since Jan. 17, and snapped her 14-match winning streak.
Quotables:
UO head coach Alison Silverio
On how the team played today vs. No. 1 USC...
It was an exciting match against No. 1 USC! We came out with an attacking mentality and a belief in each other. I was proud of the positive positions we played into today. ...Their experience today dictated that they could play and compete at this level. We need to build on these little victories and continue to believe in our process.
On how Nia performed today...
Nia performed well today an its a testament to her consistent hard work and determination. She can be proud of the way she handled herself mentally and believe in her bailities. Every singles player on this team is improving and i'm grateful to be a part of the journey!"
Up Next: The Ducks have another tough opponent on tap Saturday as No. 4 UCLA comes into town for a scheduled 11:30 a.m. (PT) first serve.
#1 USC 6, #56 Oregon 1
March 27, 2015
Eugene, Ore.
UO Outdoor Tennis Courts
Singles
1. Nia Rose (ORE) def. #11 Giuliana Olmos (USC) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
2. #20 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Alyssa Tobita (ORE) 6-4, 6-3
3. #65 Gabby Smith (USC) def. Nicole Long (ORE) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0
4. #73 Madison Westby (USC) def. Marlou Kluiving (ORE) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
5. #64 Meredith Xepoleas (USC) def. Lina Åkesson (ORE) 6-1, 6-3
6. Gabriella DiSimone (USC) def. Paloma Gomez (ORE) 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 5, 4, 3, 1
Doubles
1. #19 Katz/Santamaria (USC) def. Rose/Tobita (ORE) 8-2
2. Smith/Westby (USC) led Kluiving/Long (ORE) 7-5
3. Olmos/Xepoleas (USC) def. Åkesson/Hager 8-2
Order of Finish: 3, 1
Players Mentioned
