Colorado
California
Top-Ranked Cal Proves Its Ranking In 7-0 Win Over CU
March 26, 2016 | Tennis
BERKELEY, Calif. - Top-ranked California proved its ranking on Saturday, shutting out Colorado 7-0 in Berkeley at the Hellman Tennis Complex. The Golden Bears remained undefeated this season, improving to 15-0 overall and 4-0 in the Pac-12. CU dropped to 6-11 and 1-5 in the Pac-12. It was perhaps the toughest weekend on CU's schedule, facing two top-20 teams on the road after a 7-0 setback against 20th-ranked Stanford on Friday.
"We're going into the last quarter of the season and [Cal is] the best team in the country," head coach Nicole Kenneally said. "They've got great confidence and believe [in themselves]. Anytime you have an opportunity to play teams like this, you have an opportunity to learn. We have to take lessons away from these matches and grow on those lessons. You don't always see the results in the scores, but we're improving and that's good to see. For a tennis player to come in and play in the Pac-12 conference, they know they are going to play the best players in the country and they have to be prepared for that."
Cal made quick work of doubles and singles, finishing the match in two hours and eight minutes, the shortest match of the season for CU. The Golden Bears earned a 6-0 win at No. 2 and a 6-2 win at No. 3 to take the doubles point.
Cal took the first four singles matches with relative ease, winning 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3, 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2, 6-1, 6-1 at No.5 and 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6. However, the final two matches were closely contested by the Buffaloes.
Nuria Ormeño Ruiz, facing seventh-ranked Maegan Manasse at the No. 1 position, played a back-and-forth first set. Ormeño Ruiz won the first two games, before Manasse took three straight to lead 3-2. Ormeño Ruiz then won the next three games to lead 5-3, but Manasse prevailed by winning the final four games for the 7-5 victory.
Annabelle Andrinopoulos had to battle back from a 3-1 deficit in the first set at the No. 4 position against 68th-ranked Olivia Hauger. After winning the next three games, Andrinopoulos led 4-3, but Hauger was able to recover to also win 7-5.
Cal's nationally-ranked players took control in the second set as Manasse won 6-2 and Hauger won 6-3, ending the upset bids by the Buffs.
"They both had opportunities," Kenneally said of Ormeño Ruiz and Andrinopoulos. "You can always say, 'hey these are lost opportunities.' But you also have to see progress and we're seeing progress. Sometimes it doesn't show on the scoreboard. Both of them gave themselves opportunities. It was frustrating that they couldn't close the first set. At the same time, we're putting ourselves in that position and we're competing. And when you competing, you're going to start winning."
Overall, Kenneally was happy with how her team competed on Saturday and sees progress, despite a tough weekend against two top teams.
"We have to take the good emotion with us and leave the bad emotion aside and see what we're learning and build on that," Kenneally said. "That's how you get better."
The Buffs will return home next weekend to host No. 32 UCLA at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. CU is 5-2 at home this season.
#1 California 7, Colorado 0
Mar 26, 2016 at Berkeley, Calif. (Hellman Tennis Complex)
| Singles competition |
| 1. #7 Manasse, Maegan (CAL) def. #74 Ormeño Ruiz, Nuria (COLO) 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2. #11 Fabikova, Klara (CAL) def. Daniel, Jeannez (COLO) 6-2, 6-0 |
| 3. #93 Starr, Denise (CAL) def. Aiello, Alex (COLO) 6-2, 6-1 |
| 4. #68 Hauger, Olivia (CAL) def. Andrinopoulos, Annabelle (COLO) 7-5, 6-3 |
| 5. Popovic, Karla (CAL) def. Wojcik, Kyra (COLO) 6-1, 6-1 |
| 6. Smith, Maria (CAL) def. Beck, Brigitte (COLO) 6-3, 6-1 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. #6 Manasse, Maegan/Starr, Denise (CAL) vs. Daniel, Jeannez/Ormeño Ruiz, Nuria (COLO) 5-2, unfinished |
| 2. #77 Fabikova, Klara/Hauger, Olivia (CAL) def. Andrinopoulos, Annabelle/Wojcik, Kyra (COLO) 6-0 |
| 3. Hoang, Lyann/Smith, Maria (CAL) def. Aiello, Alex/Beck, Brigitte (COLO) 6-2 |
| Match Notes |
| Colorado 6-11, 1-5 Pac-12 |
| California 15-0, 4-0 Pac-12; National ranking #1 |
| Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,2,5,6,4,1) |
| T-2:08 |
Players Mentioned
