49ers Win Big West Championship
Beach Defeats UC Irvine, 4-0
April 30, 2006 INDIAN WELLS, CA-- The No. 27-ranked Long Beach State women's tennis team captured its third consecutive league title as they swept past UC Irvine 4-0 in the championship match at the 2006 Big West Conference Tennis Championships at Indian Wells Tennis Gardens. The 49ers (21-4) have won nine consecutive Big West Tournament matches over the past three years and won their fourth Big West Championship, having advanced to the championship match of the tournament the past six years. The 49ers won Big West titles in 2002, 2004 and 2005.
Long Beach thoroughly dominated the No. 48-ranked Anteaters (15-10) from the start. In doubles play the 49ers won at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles by identical 8-1 scores. The third doubles was called because the 49ers had already won the doubles point. Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks, who are ranked #32 nationally, won at the No. 1 spot and improved to 19-1 this spring in doubles action with a win over Inna Agababian and Heidi Kaloi. At two doubles, Sandra Rocha and Katy Williams also recorded an easy 8-1 victory over Becky Bernhard and Ashley Siddall.
Singles play saw the 49ers with three matches in straight sets to clinch the win. Grady, ranked No. 67 in singles, won at No. 1 singles 6-1, 6-3 over the No. 120-ranked Bernhard. The win was Grady's sixth this spring over a nationally-ranked opponent. Williams prevailed at No. 2 singles 6-1, 6-2 over Agababian and Rocha closed things out at the No. 4 spot with a 6-1, 6-3 victory voer Izabela Mijic.
This is the third time the 49ers have defeated the Anteaters in the Big West Championship, doing so as well in 2002 (4-2) and 2004 (4-2). Last year the 49ers defeated Pacific (4-2) to win the title.
The 49ers will find out their NCAA fate on Wednesday, May 3 when the bracket will be announced at 5:45 pm on ESPNews. The team championship bracket will consist of 16, four-team brackets at campus sites. Last year the 49ers were a No. 3 seed in the UCLA bracket and played the University of Washington. In 2002 and 2004 the 49ers were a No. 4 seed.
DOUBLES
1-#32-Grady/Weeks (LBSU) def. Agababian/Kaloi (UCI), 8-1
2-Rocha/Williams (LBSU) def. Bernhard/Siddall(UCI), 8-1
3-Bengson/Porsz (LBSU) vs. Hu/Borowicz (UCI), did not finish
SINGLES
1-#67-Hannah Grady (LBSU) def. #120 Bechy Bernhard (UCI), 6-1, 6-3
2-Katy Williams (LBSU) def. Inna Agababian (UCI), 6-1, 6-2
3-Stephanie Bengson (LBSU) vs. Ashley Siddall(UCI), did not finish
4-Sandra Rocha (LBSU) def. Izabela Mijic (UCI), 6-1, 6-3
5-Jessica Weeks (LBSU) vs. Heidi Kaloi (UCI) did not finish
6-Rachael Porsz (LBSU) vs. Clare Fermin (UCI), did not finish |
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