VANCOUVER, Wash. – The Portland State women's tennis team completed a three-match weekend sweep on Sunday, grinding out a 5-2 win over the University of Idaho, at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash. With the win the Viks improve to 3-1 in 2013, as the team took down Seattle on Friday and Linfield on Saturday to go with its latest victory.

While PSU's third win didn't come easy, the team was bolstered by the momentum of winning the doubles point. The No. 3 team of Megan Govi and Marina Todd jumped out to an early lead but an injury to one of their opponents forced Idaho to retire from the doubles contest and concede the match to PSU.

Idaho rebounded from relinquishing the early doubles lead however, as Constance Alexander and Belen Barcenilla bested PSU's No. 2 team of Marti Pellicano and Mandy Mallen.

 With the doubles point knotted up at one the Viks looked to their No. 1 team of Daria Burobina and Kelsey Frey. The tandem appeared to be in control, maintaining a 5-0 lead midway through the set, but a late surge from opponents, Victoria Lozano and Almudena Sanz, pushed the match to 7-4. As was the theme throughout the weekend, the Viking duo found a way to get it done and eventually took the match 8-4, and with it the doubles point, putting PSU up 1-0.

Because the injury sustained in the No. 3 doubles match, Idaho was forced to concede the No. 6 singles contest, giving the Viks a 2-0 advantage.

PSU received a boost from the No. 4 spot as Kelsey Frey, remained perfect through the three-match weekend, defeating Barcenilla, 6-3, 6-1, and pushing PSU's lead to 3-0.

The Viks needed just one more win to defeat the Vandals for the first time under head coach Jay Sterling.

While Portland State was searching for that next win it was Idaho that struck back first, with two consecutive singles wins, to make it 3-2, as Victoria Lozano downed Burobina, 6-2, 6-4 and Sanz upended Todd, 6-2, 6-3.

All eyes turned to the No. 3 and No. 5 positions as both Mallen and Pellicano held the potential clinching win. With the future in the hands of either competitor, both faced the same scenario as they split the first two sets with their opponents. Mallen rebounded nicely after dropping a troublesome first frame, 6-2, to win 6-4. Meanwhile the opposite was true for Pellicano who cruised to a 6-3 win in the first set but was bested by Alejandra Lozano in the second frame, 6-4.

With both players entering a decisive third set it was Pellicano who broke through first. The senior ground out six-straight points to defeat Lozano, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, and clinch PSU's third win of the season.  

Mallen followed suit, winning her final set by an identical 6-0 score, and defeating Alexander, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, to seal the 5-2 victory.

The Viks concluded the weekend having deafeated Seattle, who the Viks had struggled to beat least year, falling to the Redhawks twice to the tune of 5-2, Linfield, a team they beat by a narrow 4-3 margin in 2012, and Idaho, a team that Portland State had never bested.

Frey had an impressive weekend in her own right, as she was the only Viking player to go a perfect 3-0 in singles play, during the three-match home stand.

The Vikings will attempt to increase their winning-streak to four when they travel to Eugene, Ore., next Friday to face the Ducks and will finish the weekend with a morning match with Gonzaga on Saturday, Feb. 3.  Match times are slated for 6 p.m. and 9 a.m., respectively.
 

Singles competition

1. LOZANO, Victoria (IDA) def. BUROBINA, Daria (PSU) 6-2, 6-4

2. SANZ, Almudena (IDA) def. TODD, Marina (PSU) 6-2, 6-3

3. MALLEN, Mandy (PSU) def. ALEXANDER, Constance (IDA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0

4. FREY, Kelsey (PSU) def. BARCENILLA, Belen (IDA) 6-3, 6-1

5. PELLICANO, Marti (PSU) def. LOZANO, Alejandra (IDA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

6. No player (PSU) def. No player (IDA), by forfeit

 

Doubles competition

1. BUROBINA, Daria/FREY, Kelsey (PSU) def. LOZANO, Victoria/SANZ, Almudena (IDA) 8-4

2. ALEXANDER, Constance/BARCENILLA, Belen (IDA) def. PELLICANO, Marti/MALLEN, Mandy (PSU) 8-4

3. GOVI, Megan/TODD, Marina (PSU) def. BERMUDEZ, Rita/LOZANO, Alejandra (IDA) 3-0, retired

 

Match Notes

Idaho 0-4

Portland State 3-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (6,4,1,2,5,3)