By Sandeep Chandok:
“Oh God,” said San Jose State head coach Chad Skorupka, with laughter, as his three seniors Marine Dans, Marie Klocker and Gaelle Rey posed for a celebration picture and two of them “dabbed” while the other held the first-place trophy.
In a 4-0 route, SJSU’s women’s tennis team propelled past No. 1 seed UNLV to win the 2017 Mountain West Championship.
“I’m so proud of my team,” Rey said grinning. “I’m just so happy right now.”
The first two doubles matches were split by the schools before the duo of Rey and Dans came from behind to defeat Carol Yang and Cristina Moroi, 7-5.
“After we got that doubles point, I think [UNLV] — we got one off them,” Skorupka said.
Following her doubles match, Dans secured SJSU’s second match point by knocking off UNLV’s Anna Bogoslavets, 6-2, 6-1. It was the first time Bogoslavets had ever lost a dual match to a Mountain West conference opponent.
Junior Sybille Gauvain contributed to the point total as well with her 6-3, 6-2 singles defeat of Yang to pull the Spartans within one point of the championship.
“We love them,” Skorupka said of his upperclassmen. “They work hard, they’re good people, great student-athletes [and] great representatives of the school.”
Rey concluded the sweep and Mountain West title for the Spartans by putting down Jovana Kenic, 6-4, 6-3.
The win over Kenic was the 100th of Rey’s collegiate career.
“I can’t believe it,” Rey said as exhilaration rushed through her body. “It’s just amazing because it’s my senior year and ending like this — I couldn’t end it better.”
Fortunately for the Spartans, the season can end in a better fashion as the team, with the win, will advance to the NCAA tournament which will be held from May 18-29 in Athens, Georgia.
This will be SJSU’s second appearance in the tournament.