Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Utah
No. 21 Women's Tennis Cruises Past Utah 7-0
4/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 19, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - The 21st-ranked Fresno State women's tennis team rolled to a 7-0 victory over Utah in the regular season finale at the Wathen Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon.
The victory was the Bulldogs' 15th in their last 16 home matches and sends the team into next week's WAC Tournament riding high. Fresno State (13-7), the highest nationally ranked team in the conference, has won six consecutive matches, doing so by a combined score of 37-5.
Utah (6-15) lost its second in a row.
Once again, the Bulldogs followed the lead of the top of the lineup. In doubles, it was the 14th-ranked Chloe Carlotti and Lucia Tallo who were dominant, blanking Ellen Svensson and Allison Hansen by a score of 8-0. The duo finished the regular season by winning their last nine in a row, boosting their record to a gaudy 15-2 (11-1 dual).
In singles, Fresno State won five matches in straight sets. At No. 1, Carlotti dismantled Ellen Svensson 6-2, 6-0 for her eighth victory in a row. The sophomore All-American, currently ranked eighth in the nation, heads into the postseason with a 27-7 (18-2 dual) mark.
The only Bulldog to struggle was 102nd-ranked Lucia Tallo at No. 2. The sophomore snuck past Sheri Esrock 3-6, 6-1, (10-5) for her sixth consecutive win.
"We really got on a roll at the end of the regular season and starting playing well at every position," head coach Kevin Epley said. "Now, the chore for this team is to continue that solid play in the WAC Tournament. It's every team's goal to win the conference championship, and we have the opportunity to win our second in a row this year. That's a very large incentive for this team."
The WAC Tournament begins Friday in Boise, Idaho. The Bulldogs are the tournament's likely No. 1 seed.
No. 21 Fresno State 7, Utah 0
Doubles (Fresno State wins point)
1) No. 14 Carlotti/Tallo (FS) def. E. Svensson/Hansen (Utah), 8-0
2) Sainz/Winterhalter (FS) def. Esrock/M. Svensson (Utah), 8-2
3) McRae/Jovanovic (FS) def. Doyle/Kasteler (Utah), 8-1
Singles
1) No. 8 Chloe Carlotti (FS) def. Ellen Svensson (Utah), 6-2, 6-0
2) No. 102 Lucia Tallo (FS) def. Sheri Esrock (Utah), 3-6, 6-1, (10-5)
3) Lucia Sainz (FS) def. Cassie Kasteler (Utah), 7-6 (5), 6-0
4) Vlatka Jovanovic (FS) def. Allison Hansen (Utah), 6-2, 6-0
5) Kathrin Winterhalter (FS) def. Rachel Adler (Utah), 6-0, 6-0
6) Kirsty McRae (FS) def. Maria Svensson (Utah), 6-0, 6-1
Records: Fresno State (13-7); Utah (6-15)
Time of Match: 2:18
Conditions: 69 degrees, sunny, winds light (5 mph)
