Complete Match Notes (PDF)

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland State women's tennis team just needs to put all the pieces together.
 
The Vikings have won the doubles point three different times this season, but lost all three matches. Additionally, the Vikings won three of their six singles matches against North Dakota on March 11, and could have easily done that against either Weber State or Northern Colorado last weekend.
 
Piece those two things together – a doubles-point victory and three wins in singles – and the Vikings will break through for their first win of the season.
 
The Vikings have a favorable matchup for their next match, too, as they host Southern Utah – who the Vikings have won four straight matches against – on Sunday. The Vikings haven't lost to the Thunderbirds since their first match against them back in 2013, and have won both of their previous matches against Southern Utah at home.
 
The Thunderbirds have a relatively new team as they've predominately relied on four freshmen and a junior newcomer. Only three players who played for the Thunderbirds last season have played in a match this season, and one of those three – senior Laura Martin Lozano – has only played in two matches. Additionally, the other two returners – senior Mikala Lowrance and junior Charity Sagiao – have played in the bottom of the Thunderbirds' lineup at lines four, five and six this season.
 
Freshmen Zoe Tanti and Eira Tobrand have dominated the top of the lineup for the Thunderbirds, along with junior newcomer Ghita Nassik. All three players have played a match at line one for the Thunderbirds, though Nassik has played the most matches at line one, where she is 5-4 this season. Tobrand has an 8-5 overall record as a freshman while going 3-2 at line two and 5-2 at line three. Tanti also has a winning record this season at 6-4 overall between a 3-2 record at line two and a 2-0 record at line three.
 
The Vikings' match against the Thunderbirds this Sunday also offers senior Siena Peri her first opportunity to match the career record for Big Sky doubles wins, which two former teammates of hers – Dané Vorster and Sabina-Elena Preda – currently share. Peri ranks one win behind Vorster and Preda with 16 Big Sky doubles wins in her career, but will match them at 17 with a win against the Thunderbirds.
 
The Vikings and Thunderbirds get underway at 10 a.m. Sunday at Club Green Meadows in Vancouver, Wash.
 
MATCH INFO:
Sunday, March 25 – vs. Southern Utah – Vancouver, Wash. (Club Green Meadows) – 10 a.m.
 
FOLLOW THE VIKINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Fans can follow the Portland State women's tennis team all year on Twitter and Instagram at @psuviksWTN. Live updates from most home matches will be posted on that account.
 
SCOUTING SOUTHERN UTAH:

• The Southern Utah Thunderbirds (7-6, 0-2 Big Sky) have won three straight matches coming into their match against the Vikings. The Thunderbirds beat Bradley on March 12 to open their win streak, then followed that with a 4-2 win over UC Riverside on March 13, and a 7-0 win over UC Irvine on March 16.
• The Thunderbirds lost their first two Big Sky matches, which came on the road against Idaho State and Weber State. The Thunderbirds lost 6-1 to the Bengals on March 3, and lost 5-2 to Weber State on March 4.
• Only three players who played for the Thunderbirds last season have returned this season, and one of those three – senior Laura Martin Lozano – has only played in two matches this season. The other returners for the Thunderbirds are senior Mikala Lowrance – who has gone 4-5 overall while playing at lines four, five and six this season – and junior Charity Sagiao – who has gone 5-6 overall while playing at lines four and five.
• The bulk of the Thunderbirds' production this season has come from newcomers, including four freshmen in Daniela Cozzi, Alexandra Ngo, Zoe Tanti and Eira Tobrand. Tanti and Tobrand have split time with junior newcomer Ghita Nassik at the top of the singles lineup for the Thunderbirds. Tobrand has the best record of the three at 8-5 overall between a 3-2 record at line two and a 5-2 record at line three. Tanti also has a winning record this season at 6-4 overall between a 3-2 record at line two and a 2-0 record at line three. Nassik has gone 5-7 overall this season, but has a winning record at 5-4 at line one. Cozzi is also 6-7 overall this season while playing at lines three (1-3), four (2-4) and five (3-0).

 
ALL-TIME SERIES VERSUS SOUTHERN UTAH:
The Vikings lead the all-time series between them and the Thunderbirds, 4-1. The Vikings have won the last four in a row against the Thunderbirds, and are 2-0 against SUU at home.
 
LAST TIME OUT:
The Vikings lost a pair of Big Sky matches at home last weekend against Weber State and Northern Colorado. The Vikings played with only five players in both matches, but made a match of it in both duals despite being shorthanded. The Vikings ended up losing 7-0 to Weber State on Friday, but won the first set in three of the five contested singles matches before losing all three in 10-point match tiebreakers. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Vikings swept the two contested doubles matches to open their dual against Northern Colorado. The Bears came back with straight-set wins at lines three and five in singles to go up 3-1, while the other three matches all went to third sets. The Vikings needed to sweep all three matches to pull out the dual, but only won two of three, giving the Bears the 4-3 win. Siena Peri and Eszter Zador won at lines one and two for the Vikings, as each came back to win after losing the first set of their match. Peri came back to beat UNC's Tristen Bryant-Otake 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 at line one, while Zador took control of her match against UNC's Anna Battersby after the first set to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 at line two.
 
UPCOMING:
The Vikings take a week off before hitting the road for a pair of matches against Idaho and Eastern Washington the following week. The Vikings play in Moscow, Idaho, against the Vandals at 1 p.m. (PT) on April 6, and then travel to Cheney, Wash., for a match against the Eagles at 11 a.m. (PT) on April 8.
 
ZSA ZSA ZADOR:
Sophomore newcomer Eszter Zador has been the Vikings' most reliable winner this season, as she leads the team with six singles wins and sports a team-best 6-5 record. Zador's win over Northern Colorado's Anna Battersby came in three sets last Sunday, but four of her six wins this season have come in straight sets. Four of Zador's six wins have also come at No. 2 singles, moving her up to ninth all time in career wins at line two. Zador also leads the Vikings with four doubles wins this season, and has won three of her five matches with Siena Peri.
 
THE PEERLESS PERI:
Senior Siena Peri entered the all-time top 10 in singles wins earlier this season, and moved into a tie for eighth all time with her 20th career win in the Vikings' match against Northern Colorado last Sunday. Peri's win over UNC's Tristen Bryant-Otake also moved her up to fourth all time in Big Sky singles wins with 14. Peri already holds the career record for wins at No. 2 singles, as well as the career record for wins at No. 1 doubles, which she extended to 25 in the Vikings' match against the Bears last Sunday. Peri's win with Zador against the Bears also moved her within a win of tying the career record for Big Sky doubles wins. If Peri and Zador can win their match against Southern Utah, then Peri will tie her former teammates Dané Vorster and Sabina-Elena Preda for the Big Sky doubles wins record at 17.
 
REES' PIECES:
Junior Taylor Rees set the career records for wins at No. 6 singles (14) and win percentage at No. 6 singles (.583) at the end of her sophomore season. Rees stands just two wins out of the top 10 all time in overall singles wins with 18 in her career so far, and ranks fifth all time in Big Sky singles wins with 13. Rees has been an even better doubles player, as she ranks just three wins from tying former teammate Sabina-Elena Preda for the career record in wins at No. 2 doubles. Rees also ranks eighth all time with 11 Big Sky doubles wins in her career, and needs just four more wins to move into the top 10 all time in overall doubles wins.
 
2017 SEASON RECAP:
The Vikings won four of their last six matches of the 2017 season, but an 0-10 start to the year doomed them as they finished tied for ninth in the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings beat Montana, 4-3, for their first win of the season on March 26 – the Vikings' second straight win over Montana after they had lost 15 straight to the Grizzlies to start their head-to-head. The Vikings then beat Southern Utah, 5-2, on the road next weekend, April 1, before finishing the year with back-to-back wins over Sacramento State and Bellevue College on April 15 and 16, respectively. The Vikings beat Sacramento State, 4-3, on their Senior Day – the Vikings' first win over the Hornets in program history. The Vikings had been 0-16 all time against the Hornets heading into the match, but won behind a doubles sweep and singles wins from then-seniors Tracy Dong and Sabina-Elena Preda, and then-sophomore Taylor Rees. Six of the Vikings' 11 Big Sky matches were decided by 4-3 scores during the season, with the Vikings 2-4 in those matches.