Box Score (PDF)
LOS ANGELES – Sophomore Danielle Pham secured a three-set win at the bottom of the lineup to seal the 4-3 victory for the Cal State Fullerton's women's tennis team over Loyola Marymount on Saturday afternoon at LMU Tennis Center.
With the win, Fullerton improves to 4-1, the best start for the program since 1995, while the Lions are 0-2 in 2016.
With the match even at 3-3, it was Pham's 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over LMU's Julia Norlin that clinched the winning point for the Titans.
For the fourth time this season, Fullerton won the doubles point which gave the Titans a 1-0 advantage headed into singles play. The team of Alexis Valenzuela and Camille De Leon improved to 3-0 on the year with a 6-4 victory over Jessica Perez and Elvira Juravliova at No. 1 doubles. Freshman Sarah Nuno paired with Pham, defeated Anna Romeka and Tatijana Sheikhan of LMU, 6-3, at No. 3 doubles to help the Titans win the doubles point.
Nuno pushed Fullerton's lead to 2-0 as the rookie –now 3-2 on the year – edged Andrea Crespo 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3 singles.
The Lions cut the Titan lead to 2-1 as Tatijana Sheikhan pushed past Titan freshman Masako Makiba 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot in the lineup.
Valenzuela's victory gave the Titans a 3-1 advantage as the junior and co-captain remained undefeated at 5-0 at the top of the lineup dispatching Jessica Perez 7-5, 6-1.
But the Lions were able to even the match when freshman Karla Portalatin suffered her first singles loss of the year at No. 4 singles, and De Leon lost a close two-set affair, 6-4, 7-5, to Kristine Kouyoumjian at No. 2 singles.
With the match tied at 3-3, Pham's three-set win gave the Titans the match-winning point.
Fullerton will play its next two matches on the road at Pacific on Friday, Feb. 19, while opening Big West Conference play on Saturday, Feb. 20 at UC Davis. The Titans return to Titan Tennis Courts on Wednesday, Feb. 24, to Cal State L.A.
Tennis Match Results
Cal State Fullerton at Loyola Marymount
Feb 06, 2016 at Los Angeles, Calif.
(LMU Tennis Center)
Cal State Fullerton 4, LMU 3
Singles competition
1. Alexis Valenzuela (CSF) def. Jessica Perez (LMU) 7-5, 6-1
2. Kristine Kouyoumjian (LMU) def. Camille De Leon (CSF) 6-4, 7-5
3. Sarah Nuno (CSF) def. Andrea Crespo (LMU) 6-0, 6-4
4. Elvira Juravliova (LMU) def. Karla Portalatin (CSF) 6-3, 6-3
5. Tatijana Sheikhan (LMU) def. Masako Makiba (CSF) 6-1, 6-3
6. Danielle Pham (CSF) def. Julia Norlin (LMU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Alexis Valenzuela/Camille De Leon (CSF) def. Jessica Perez/Elvira Juravliova (LMU) 6-4
2. Andrea Crespo/Julia Norlin (LMU) vs. Masako Makiba/Karla Portalatin (CSF) 5-4, unfinished
3. Sarah Nuno/Danielle Pham (CSF) def. Anna Romeka/Tatijana Sheikhan (LMU) 6-3
Match Notes:
Cal State Fullerton 4-1
LMU 0-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,5,1,4,2,6)