INDIAN WELLS, Calif. --- Cal State Fullerton rallied for a 4-3 comeback victory over CSUN in a Big West Women's Tennis Championship quarterfinal match on Friday at Indian Wells Tennis Garden as the win advanced the Titans to their first ever semifinal.
No. 4 seed Cal State Fullerton will play 2017 Big West Conference regular season champion and No. 1 seed Hawai'i in a Big West Championship semifinal match at 9 a.m., Saturday from Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The Titans (19-3) and CSUN (9-12) were knotted at 3-3 before Fullerton sophomore Masako Makiba delivered the match-winning point for CSF with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Emma Roenholt at No. 5 in the lineup.
For just the second time this season, Cal State Fullerton started the match by losing the doubles point as CSUN's Kiryang Kim and Kristen Poei defeated Makiba and Danielle Pham, 6-3, at No. 3 doubles, before the No. 2 doubles pair of Skyla Alcon and Elisa Elhadj edged Karla Portalatin and Sarah Nuno, 6-4.
Senior Camille De Leon started the comeback for Fullerton with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Elhadj at No. 2 singles to even the match at 1-1.
The Matadors reclaimed the lead as Poei dispatched Pham, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 6 singles.
The match was pulled even once again at 2-2 as Nuno held off Kim, 7-5, 6-4, at No. 4 in the lineup to earn her 13th singles win of the year.
The Matadors then retook the advantage 3-2 as Alcon fought back from a first-set loss to defeat Portalatin 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
It was senior Alexis Valenzuela who tied the match at 3-3 to set up Makiba's match-winning point. The West Covina, Calif., native defeated Mickey Hsu 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at the top of the order earning her 15th singles win of the year.
Notes: Cal State Fullerton has lost its last two doubles point after winning its first 19 of the season… Fullerton holds an overall record of 18-38 dating back to 1989 at the Big West Championships…in quarterfinal action, the Titans hold a record of 1-16, as Saturday will be CSF's first trip to the semifinals.
Tennis Match Results
CSUN vs Cal State Fullerton
Apr 28, 2017 at Indian Wells, CA
(Indian Wells Tennis Garden)
Cal State Fullerton 4, CSUN 3
Singles competition
1. Alexis Valenzuela (CSF) def. Mickey Hsu (CSUN) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
2. Camille De Leon (CSF) def. Elisa Elhadj (CSUN) 6-1, 6-3
3. Skyla Alcon (CSUN) def. Karla Portalatin (CSF) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0
4. Sarah Nuno (CSF) def. Kiryang Kim (CSUN) 7-5, 6-4
5. Masako Makiba (CSF) def. Emma Roenholt (CSUN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
6. Kristen Poei (CSUN) def. Danielle Pham (CSF) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #58 Alexis Valenzuela/Camille De Leon (CSF) vs. Mickey Hsu/Vivian Lin (CSUN) 4-5, unfinished
2. Skyla Alcon/Elisa Elhadj (CSUN) def. Karla Portalatin/Sarah Nuno (CSF) 6-4
3. Kiryang Kim/Kristen Poei (CSUN) def. Masako Makiba/Danielle Pham (CSF) 6-3
Match Notes:
CSUN 9-12
Cal State Fullerton 19-3
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,6,4,3,1,5)
Big West Women's Tennis Tournament Quarterfinals
T-3:05
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