By Ajah Yee (@ajah_yee ):
The San Jose State women’s tennis team played its first two matches of the season with a weekend of celebration and determination.
Playing in the new Spartan Tennis Complex for the first time, the Spartans earned a sweeping win against the Sonoma State Seawolves Friday followed by a humbling 6-1 defeat against the nation’s best Stanford Cardinal on Saturday.
SJSU breezed through Friday’s match against SSU sweeping the scoreboard with a 7-0 win in doubles #1 and #2, and a crushing the game with all six wins in singles.
With doubles #1 players Sybille Gauvain and Miyo Kobayashi and doubles two players Laura Malsert and Clara Mantaux winning their matches 6-0, the Spartans earned the first point of the game.
Following the doubles match was an impressive win across the board for the Spartans. Senior Sybille Gauvain had the best singles performance Friday afternoon, beating SSU’s Amanda Zuidema in two sets, 6-0, 6-1.
“I was very excited to play today,” said Gauvain after Friday’s match. “For me, this is my very last semester here, so I just wanted to play well today and just go for it.”
Head coach Chad Skorupka was pleased with his team’s first match.
“I’m glad we got our first win at the new San Jose tennis courts, Skorupka said. “We took care of business and we’re looking forward to being ready for tomorrow against the number one team in the country.”
As for Saturday’s daunting matchup against the Palo-Alto powerhouse, SJSU knew it would be no easy task, and it wasn’t.
The Spartans were defeated 6-1 with the only point coming from freshman Savannah Sendar’s singles win over Cardinal Kimberly Yee 7-6, 6-2.
Sendar even surprised herself.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” the freshman told SJSU athletics after Saturday’s match. “When you win such a match after a hard fight, it’s just amazing.”
After splitting both matches, the Spartans get a week off before returning to the court when they face the Academy of Art and Cal State Northridge next Friday and Saturday in San Jose.