University of Oregon
UCLA
Ducks Make History in Pac-12 Championship Win Over UCLA
04/27/17 | Women's Tennis
OJAI, Calif. - The No. 5 seed University of Oregon women's tennis team took down No. 4 seed UCLA 4-3 in a historic first ever victory over the Bruins in program history at the first Pac-12 women's tennis team championships Thursday afternoon at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club.
With the win, the Ducks (14-9, 6-4 Pac-12) surpassed the Bruins (13-7, 7-3 Pac-12) to advance to the Pac-12 championship semifinals, and will face No. 1 seed Stanford on Friday at 2:00 p.m. PT. The winner of Friday's match will face either No. 6 USC or No. 2 California for the Pac-12 team championship title.
Visit the hub for the Pac-12 women's tennis championships here - pac-12.com/tennis/championships
How it Happened: In doubles, junior Nia Rose and senior Marlou Kluiving bested Ena Shibahara and Kristin Wiley 6-1. The Bruins evened things up as Jada Hart and Terri Fleming defeated sophomore Shweta Sangwan and freshman Julia Eshet 6-3. Junior Alyssa Tobita and freshman Rifanty Kahfiani clinched the doubles point for the Ducks with a 6-3 win over Gabby Andrews and Alaina Miller.
In singles, UCLA earned their first match point of the match with a three-set win as Shibahara defeated Tobita, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. The Bruins pulled ahead 2-1 after Jada Hart bested Rose 6-2, 7-6(6). The score moved further to UCLA's favor with a win in the sixth position by Wiley over Kluiving 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. All momentum moved back to the Ducks however, as Eshet won in three sets over Miller 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. Sangwan then took down Fleming in a hard-fought three-set battle 4-6, 7-6, 6-3. With the score evenly matched at 3-3, it all came down to sophomore Daniela Nasser's match against Andrews in three-set tiebreak. Through perseverance and grit, Nasser came out victorious 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 to give the Ducks their first ever program win over the Bruins.
What it Means: Prior to this season, the Ducks have never defeated a California school. Earlier this season, the Ducks defeated USC in monumental fashion 4-3, and in the quarterfinals of the first ever Pac-12 championships on April 27, Oregon took down UCLA 4-3 to advance to the championship semifinals.
Quotes: Head coach Alison Silverio -
"We are extremely proud of our team. Their fearlessness was apparent in each moment. We all knew what was on the line, and we went out and attacked the day! We will continue to focus on our discipline and executing our game plans."
Sophomore Daniela Nasser -
"We all battled hard today and never gave up. That's what got it done for us. My team brought the energy and was loud when it came down to the last games at the end. It energized me, and reminded me that I had to do it for them. We have prepared all season, and it translated on the court today for everyone. We are excited to get after it tomorrow!"
Freshman Julia Eshet -
"Today was a real team effort. We brought good energy and stayed tough for more than four hours. We all believed in each other and continued attacking even in moments when we were down. Our fitness was key today, and we trusted our preparation."
Oregon vs. UCLA Results
1. (UCLA) Jada Hart/Terri Fleming def. (UO) Shweta Sangwan/Julia Eshet, 6-3
2. (UO) Alyssa Tobita/Rifanty Kahfiani def. (UCLA) Gabby Andrews/Alaina Miller, 6-3
3. (UO) Nia Rose/Marlou Kluiving def. (UCLA) Ena Shibahara/Kristin Wiley, 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Point: Oregon
SINGLES
1. (UCLA) Ena Shibahara def. (UO) Alyssa Tobita, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
2. (UO) Shweta Sangwan def. (UCLA) Terri Fleming, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
3. (UCLA) Jada Hart def. (UO) Nia Rose, 6-2, 7-6(6)
4. (UO) Julia Eshet def. (UCLA) Alaina Miller, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
5. (UO) Daniela Nasser def. (UCLA) Gabby Andrews, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
6. (UCLA) Kristin Wiley def. (UO) Marlou Kluiving, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Order of finish: 1, 3, 6, 4, 2, 5
Final match score: 4-3, Oregon
Looking Ahead: Oregon will face Stanford on Friday in the Pac-12 team championship semifinals. Action is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. PT. The winner of the match will face with No. 6 USC of No. 2 California for the Pac-12 team championship title.
Follow the Ducks: Follow all of the University of Oregon women's tennis action both on and off the court. Make sure to follow @OregonWTennis on Twitter. Also follow the team on Facebook by "liking" Oregon Ducks Women's Tennis and following Oregon Women's Tennis on Instagram.
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