Cal Poly, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara look to sort out the tight race at the top of the women's tennis standings when the 49ers make a key trip to the Central Coast schools this weekend. The 49ers are 5-0 in league play, followed by the 5-1 Mustangs and 4-1 Gauchos.
NOTEWORTHY
Trio At The Top To Face Off This Week
Two crucial women’s tennis matches with regular season title and tournament seeding ramifications are on the schedule this week. First place Long Beach State faces its closest pursuers on the road in Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. The 49ers are 5-0 in league play, while the Mustangs trail by one-half match at 5-1 for second place. The Gauchos sit one full match behind in third place at 4-1.
Long Beach State takes a 24-match winning streak in regular season Big West matches into the Cal Poly contest on Friday. The 49ers have not lost in regular season conference play since March 1, 2007 against UC Irvine. The 49ers have captured the Big West regular season championship in three of the last four years. With two victories this weekend, the 49ers would wrap up their fourth title in the last five seasons.
Cal Poly is having an outstanding season at 12-3 overall. The Mustangs had won seven consecutive matches until suffering a 6-1 setback at No. 11 Stanford in their last outing on March 21. Cal Poly’s only blemish in league play came at UC Irvine on February 13. The Mustangs, 5-1 in Big West play, would put themselves in prime position to earn the No. 1 seed in next month’s conference tournament with a win over the 49ers. They also would be in position to own at least a share of the regular season championship.
The Gauchos are also in the hunt for the tournament’s No. 1 seed. They host Long Beach State on Saturday. A win would put UCSB at 5-1 in the league standings. Depending on the outcome of the CP-LBSU match, the Gauchos could earn the top seed by winning their final two league contests against Cal State Fullerton and UC Riverside.
UC Santa Barbara Tries To Apply Pressure
The UC Santa Barbara men face off against Central Coast rival Cal Poly on Wednesday, needing a win to finish out conference play at 4-1. In doing so, the Gauchos would force UC Irvine (2-0) to win its remaining three league matches to win the Big West title outright. UCI does own the head-to-head tiebreaker with a win over UCSB.
Five Women’s Players Ranked In Singles
The Big West has five players ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association top 125 in singles. UC Irvine’s Stephanie Hammel leads the way at No. 83. Cal Poly teammates Suzie Matzenauer and Brittany Blalock are ranked No. 85 and No. 86, respectively. Pacific’s Jenifer Widjaja is No. 91 and Long Beach State freshman Jaklin Alawi entered the rankings this week at No. 125. In doubles, Cal Poly’s Suzie Matzenauer and Brittany Blalock went from unranked in the top 80 to swooping in at No. 26 this week.
Teams Also Earning Recognition In Rankings
Long Beach State is the highest ranked Big West team on the men’s or women’s side. The 49ers are ranked No. 38. Cal Poly is No. 55 and UC Irvine No. 64 to also represent the women in the ITA rankings. On the men’s side, UC Irvine owns a No. 56 ranking while UC Santa Barbara earns the No. 67 spot.
Indian Wells To Host Big West Tennis Championships
For the seventh straight year, Indian Wells Tennis Garden is hosting the Big West Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship. One of the most prestigious facilities in the United States, Indian Wells will host the six men’s and nine women’s teams from April 29-May 2. The Long Beach State women and UC Santa Barbara men took home the 2009 crowns. The 49ers have won all six previous years the championship has been in Indian Wells, while the Gauchos have captured four straight titles on the men’s side.