Report by LBSU
A win in the doubles point combined with wins at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 singles brought the 49ers past Cal Poly in the Big West semifinals 4-2. With the win, Beach Tennis heads to the finals to defend their 2009 title and extend their winning streak to seven straight championships.
In doubles, Cal Poly’s top team defended their No. 49 ranking by defeating Jaklin Alawi and Anais Dallara 8-5, but the 49ers took the doubles point with an 8-6 win by Anais Dallara and Deborah Armstrong at No. 2 doubles combined with an 8-5 win at No. 3 by Sarah Cantlay and Julie Luzar.
That pattern held in singles, where the depth throughout the lineup paid off again for Long Beach State. Rachel Manasse was a winner for the second straight day at No. 4 singles, defeating Diane Filip 6-1, 6-2, and Deborah Armstrong gave the 49ers another singles win 6-1, 6-0 over Steffi Wong.
#100 Susie Matzenauer, dropped to No. 2 singles defeated Dallara in three sets, while Brittany Blalock and Jaklin Alawi did not finish prior to the clinching of the match. Alexa Lee was the other winner for Cal Poly, defeating Anna Jeczmionka 6-4, 6-4.
With Long Beach State leading in the match 3-2, Cantlay clinched the match at No. 6 singles, winning for the second straight day and coming back from a second set loss to defeat Jocelyn Davis 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 to send the 49ers to the Big West Championship.
The finals are set for tomorrow beginning at 9 a.m., where the 49ers will play either UC Irvine or UC Santa Barbara pending the result of a protest of the second semifinal match.
DOUBLES
#49 Blalock/Matzenauer, CP def. Alawi/Manasse, LBSU, 8-5
Armstrong/Dallara, LBSU def. Lee/Wong, CP 8-6
Cantlay/Luzar, LBSU def. Filip/Ponay, CP 8-5
SINGLES
Brittany Blalock, CP vs. Jaklin Alawi, LBSU, DNF
#100 Susie Matzenauer, CP def. Anais Dallara, LBSU 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Deborah Armstrong, LBSU def. Steffi Wong, CP 6-1, 6-0
Rachel Manasse, LBSU def. Diane Filip, CP 6-1, 6-2
Alexa Lee, CP def. Anna Jeczmionka, LBSU 6-4, 6-4
Sarah Cantlay, LBSU def. Jocelyn Davis, CP 6-3, 1-6, 6-4