Ducks Set For Pac-12 Tournament Opener Against Utah

EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 30 Oregon women's tennis team will open the postseason the same way it finished the regular season, taking on the Utah Utes in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Ducks swept the Utes, 4-0, in their regular season finale. UO enters the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed, dropping behind USC and Washington State due to tiebreakers.

MATCH 23: No. 30 OREGON (14-8, 5-5) vs. UTAH (10-13, 1-9)
Wednesday, April 25 | 3 p.m.
Ojai, Calif. | Ojai Valley Athletic Club
Tournament Central: pac-12.com/tennis/championships

PERFECT WAY TO END THE YEAR
Oregon capped off the regular season by building some huge momentum with back-to-back shutouts against Colorado and Utah.

Daniela Nasser was the only Duck to record wins in UO's final two matches, both from the No. 4 spot. The Ducks also picked up two wins from the No. 6 position. Rifanty Kahfiani opened the weekend with a 6-1, 6-2 win against her Colorado opponent to improve to 10-5 on the year. Julia Eshet followed suit with her first career win at No. 6, defeating Utah's Victoria Robertson, 6-0, 6-2.

UO was perfect in doubles play as well, going 4-0 across the two-match span. The duo of Shweta Sangwan and Julia Eshet closed out the weekend with a big ranked win over No. 53 Alexia Petrovic and Jena Cheng.

Almost poetically, it was senior Alyssa Tobita who clinched the Ducks sweep against Utah. She defeated No. 101 Alexia Petrovic, 7-5, 6-3, to record her fifth straight victory.

IRON SHARPENS IRON
Senior Alyssa Tobita closed out the regular season on a tear, defeating three straight ranked opponents. Tobita played like a woman possessed downing No. 41 Julia Rosenqvist, 7-6(4), 6-4, before rallying to upset No. 16 Michaela Gordon in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. The top 20 win marks the highest ranked victory for any Duck this season. So far this spring, Tobita has squared off against 12 ranked opponents, including a stretch of nine ranked opponents in 11 matches. Following her recent wins, she is now 6-6 against ranked foes. Three of her six losses have come against opponents ranked in the top 20.

THE PATH TO THE TOP
Oregon has quite the journey ahead of it if UO hopes to reach the Pac-12 Championship match Saturday. If the Ducks get past Utah, they will face No. 2 overall seed UCLA. The Ducks were shut out by the Bruins in their first meeting this year. It was last season, though, that the Ducks defeated UCLA in the conference tournament marking the first win for the program over the Bruins. From there, barring any upsets, the Ducks will most likely faced a healthy Arizona State squad for a spot in the championship match.

IN THE RANKINGS
The Ducks remained at No. 30 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's team rankings.

Oregon kept three doubles pairs in the ITA rankings. Despite not pairing together since UO faced William & Mary in February, senior Alyssa Tobita and Shweta Sangwan are currently ranked 34th with a 13-6 record on the year and a 4-5 record in dual play. Oregon's No. 3 all-time winningest doubles pair, they need just one win to move into a tie for second place, and 15 to tie for first.

Sangwan and Tobita are both ranked with two doubles pairs. Sangwan and partner Julia Eshet rocketed up to No. 69. The two Ducks are currently 5-2 this spring season, defeating No. 53 Alexia petrovic and Jena Chang in their most recent match, for their first ranked win of the season.

Despite having a team-high 10-2 record together, Tobita and Rifanty Kahfiani dropped in the rankings to No. 88.

In the singles rankings, Tobita rose to No. 43. A Mililani, Hawaii, native, Tobita has a 14-6 record during the spring season while going 6-3 in conference play.

NOT INTIMIDATED
The Ducks have had a very challenging road to lead them to the Pac-12 Tournament. UO has faced nine ranked opponents on the year, five in the ITA top 25. Seven of Oregon's eight losses have come against ranked opponents, including Kansas who is currently ranked 18th. The Ducks have recorded two ranked victories this season over No. 23 Northwestern and No. 35 Arizona State.

PREVIOUSLY IN THE PAC-12
This year marks only the second year the conference has had a team tournament. Last season, the Ducks earned the No. 5 overall seed, and a first round bye. UO won their opening match, upsetting No. 4 seed UCLA, 4-3., The Ducks fell in the semifinals to No. 1 seed Stanford, 4-0, to end their inaugural run.

BY THE NUMBERS
Over the course of the 2018 regular season, the Ducks shined in certain situations. UO was nearly perfect at home sporting a 10-1 record. Their only loss at the Student Tennis Center was a tight 4-3 thriller against Washington State. The No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 positions are key spots for the Ducks. Oregon has recorded at least 10 wins when those three spots win, but have only managed to win two matches when those spots lose.

On the flipside, here are some scenarios where UO struggled. The Ducks will need to turn things around in Ojai, after earning a 2-6 record when playing outdoors. Doubles play will be key for Oregon as well. While UO is 12-2 when winning the doubles point, the Ducks are 2-6 when losing the opening point.

DOUBLING DOWN
Midway through the season, head coach Alison Silverio decided to change things up in doubles play, to some very successful results.

After pairing together a handful of times last season, junior Shweta Sangwan and sophomore Julia Eshet along with the pair of senior Alyssa Tobita and sophomore Rifanty Kahfiani have been lights out for the Ducks. Playing at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively, both pairs were undefeated through their first five matches. Heading into tournament play, Tobita and Kahfiani are 10-2 together, the only Duck duo with 10 wins this spring, while Sangwan and Eshet are 5-2.

SCOUTING THE DUCKS' OPPONENTS
The Utes are 10-13 overall this season and 1-9 in conference play with their only win coming against Arizona, 5-2. Utah is on a four-match losing streak, including UO's 4-0 victory, to close out the regular season. In that same span, Utah nearly upset then No. 14 UCLA 4-3. Utah is led by No. 122 Alexia Petrovic who is 9-9 this spring while playing every match from the No. 1 spot. Seniors Jena Chang and Petrovic are ranked No. 71 as a doubles pair with an 8-6 record.

MAKING HISTORY
This season's squad cemented its place in Oregon history by earning UO's first top 20 ranking in program history, ranking No. 17 in the Feb. 20 ITA rankings. The Ducks' previous highest ranking was No. 22 during the 2003 season. Seven of Oregon's opponents this season are currently ranked in the top 25, with 13 of their 22 total season opponents currently ranked in the top 50. Five of UO's eight losses this season have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25.

NEW FACE, OLD HISTORY
The 2017-18 season brought with it a new face to the Ducks' coaching staff in assistant coach Elizabeth Lumpkin Robinson. This is Robinson's first stint as a collegiate coach after spending over five years competing in the WTA and ITF pro tennis circuits. Before turning pro, Robinson was a member of the UCLA women's tennis team for four years (2004-08), captaining the Bruins to their first ever NCAA Championship in 2008 while posting a 24-1 record in singles play. Originally from Naperville, Ill., Robinson and head coach Alison Silverio are far from strangers as the two have been on-the-court rivals dating back to their juniors' careers. In fact, during the 2007 season, it was Silverio who clinched Georgia Tech's NCAA Championship victory 4-2 over UCLA, ending Robinson and the Bruins' championship bid in the NCAA Finals.

LOOKING AHEAD
If the Ducks defeat Utah, they will move into the second round to face No. 2 seed UCLA Thursday at 2 p.m.