CEDAR CITY, Utah – Despite singles wins from Megan Govi and Marti Pellicano the Portland State women's tennis team came up short against Southern Utah, 5-2, in Cedar City Utah, on Friday morning. The loss drops the Viks to 7-8 and 2-4 in conference.

The doubles point played a critical part in the match helping to spur the Thunderbirds to victory.

The No. 3 team of Kelsey Frey and Govi took care of business right from the very beginning of the match, downing Madeline Skaras and Afton Staheli, 8-3, in convincing fashion.

On court No. 2, Pellicano and Mandy Mallen fought back from being down 6-3 to knot the score at 7-7. The Thunderbird team of Veronika Rogova and Anastasiia Vasileva earned the next game to make it 8-7. In the very next game a code violation cost the PSU tandem a game, sealing the match for Southern Utah, 9-7.

In the deciding doubles match the Viks team of Marina Todd and Nayanatara Vadali were entrenched in a battle with Olya Kunz and Aleksandra Ivanova. Through the middle of the match each team continually broke serve, trading games back and forth. With the match at 8-7 in favor of Portland State the Thunderbirds poured on the pressure, taking the next game and forcing a tiebreaker. Todd and Vadali struggled in the tiebreaker scoring only two of nine points and falling 9-8 (2).

With the doubles point lost the Viks needed four of the singles matches to clinch the dual.

The Thunderbirds increased their lead to 2-0 as Rogova downed Todd, 6-0, 6-1.

Next to fall was Mallen from the No. 1 spot falling in a hard first set 6-1, but showing grit in the second but eventually losing, 6-3, pushing the Thunderbird lead to 3-0.

Pellicano got the Viks on the board, earning her ninth win of the year, beating Staheli, 6-1, 6-4.

Southern Utah clinched the dual on court No. 3 as Frey struggled to find answers against Ivanova, falling 6-2, 6-1.

On court No. 6, Alexa McDonald suffered a heartbreaking loss as she took the first set, 6-3, and then failed to record a game in the second frame losing 6-0, and falling in the 10-point tiebreaker, 10-8.

The Viks ended the dual match on a positive note as Govi inched closer to the program-best for season wins (set by Leinani McAneney with 12 and then tied by Yuki Sugiyama) earning her 11th win of the season, defeating Madeline Skaras, 6-1, 6-4. She is only the third women's tennis player to reach double-digit wins since 1998. Pellicano can reach that feat in the same weekend  as she is currently only one victory away.

Portland State will continue its three-match road swing when it plays Valparaiso on Saturday and Northern Arizona on Sunday, both matches in Flagstaff, Ariz. The match times are slated for 1 p.m. and 9 a.m., respectively.
 

Singles competition

1. KUNZ, Olya (SUU) def. MALLEN, Mandy (PSU) 6-1, 6-3

2. ROGOVA, Veronika (SUU) def. TODD, Marina (PSU) 6-0, 6-1

3. IVANOVA, Aleksandra (SUU) def. FREY, Kelsey (PSU) 6-2, 6-1

4. GOVI, Megan (PSU) def. SKARAS, Madeline (SUU) 6-1, 6-4

5. PELLICANO, Marti (PSU) def. STAHELI, Afton (SUU) 6-1, 6-4

6. VASILEVA, Anastasiia (SUU) def. MCDONALD, Alexa (PSU) 3-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8)

 

Doubles competition

1. KUNZ, Olya/IVANOVA, Aleksandra (SUU) def. TODD, Marina/VADALI, Nayanatara (PSU) 9-8 (7-2)

2. ROGOVA, Veronika/VASILEVA, Anastasiia (SUU) def. MALLEN, Mandy/PELLICANO, Marti (PSU) 9-7

3. FREY, Kelsey/GOVI, Megan (PSU) def. SKARAS, Madeline/STAHELI, Afton (SUU) 8-3

 

Match Notes

Portland State 7-8

Southern Utah University 5-4

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