UC Irvine’s Lamm Defeats Three Opponents From Ranked Teams

Senior Victor Lamm (Paris, France) continued his sizzling start to the 2008 spring season with his second consecutive Big West Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week honor.

Lamm improved to 4-0 at the No. 2 singles position with three impressive victories against opponents who compete for nationally ranked programs.  He began the week with a win over No. 69-ranked Brent Werbeck of Boise State.  His 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph tied the match at 3-3 before teammate Ryan Mayer clinched the 4-3 victory and upset over the No. 27-ranked Broncos on Thursday.

Although the Anteaters fell in their next two matches to No. 10 Alabama (6-1) and No. 33 Clemson (4-3), Lamm posted points for his team in each.  He led the Crimson Tide's Saketh Myneni 7-6, 3-6, 4-2 before Myneni retired due to injury.  Against Clemson's Kevin Fleck, Lamm earned a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

Lamm teamed with Khunpol Issara to win two of their three matches at No. 1 doubles.  They defeated Paul Koenke and Luke Shields of Boise State in a narrow 8-7 (3) decision, and bested Rok Bizjak and Derek DiFazio of Clemson, 9-7.

Blalock and Grady Share Women's Tennis Weekly Honors

Cal Poly sophomore Brittany Blalock (Palm Desert, Palm Desert HS) and Long Beach State junior Hannah Grady (Coventry, England) were selected Big West Women's Tennis Co-Athletes of the Week as both players had successful runs through singles and doubles.

Blalock defeated a pair of Big West opponents at her No. 1 singles position.  She outdueled UC Irvine's Becky Bernhard, a fellow 2007 All-Big West First Team honoree, by a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.  One day later, she wrapped up a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton's Shelly Injejikian as Cal Poly rode to the 7-0 sweep.

Blalock played just one match for the week with partner Steffi Wong, and it was a successful one.  The No. 22-ranked Mustang duo topped Bernhard and Clare Fermin 8-4 in No. 1 doubles.

Grady earned Co-Athlete of the Week honors for the second time this season as she defeated No. 61 Julia Trunk of San Diego State, 6-0, 6-1 in the No. 1 singles slot.  Along with Stephanie Bengson, Grady also defeated the team of Sisse Nielsen and Kathryn Kitts, 8-4.