SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's tennis beat No. 54 Rice, 5-2 on Saturday morning at the Aztec Tennis Center. The win was the squads third straight win and the second in a row over a ranked opponent.
The Aztecs mixed up the lineup in doubles play and it worked to perfection, earning SDSU the doubles point and an early 1-0 lead over the Owls. Saturday morning was just the second time this season the Aztecs have earned the doubles point in four opportunities. All three doubles pairings had not been teammates so far this spring season. On court one Rania Azziz and Alicia Melosch played together, on court two it was Dariya Detkovskaya and Tamara Arnold paired together, and on court three it was Andjela Skrobonja and Andreea Velcea who teamed up.
Arnold and Detkovskaya earned the first win of the day for the Aztecs when they took care of business 6-2 on court two. Skrobonja and Velcea quickly followed suit to claim the doubles point for the Aztecs with a 6-2 win on court three, giving SDSU a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
Singles play was more of the same for the Aztecs. No. 81 in singles play Detkovskaya took care of business in straight sets on court three, 6-2, 6-3, beating Diae El Jardi in convincing fashion, and gave SDSU a 2-0 lead. Detkovskaya is now 4-0 in singles play in dual matches this season. Melosch continued the trend for the Aztecs, winning in straight sets as well over on court four. The fifth-year senior earned a 6-4 win in set one and followed that up with a 6-2 in her second set. Her win on court four put the Aztecs up 3-0 and firmly in the drivers seat of the match.
Arnold then clinched the match for the Aztecs a virtually the same time that Melosch's match ended. Arnold, who is ranked 116th in the latest ITA singles rankings won her match in straight sets as well. She took care of business in the first set, winning 6-3, before clinching the match for the Aztecs in her second set, which she won 6-3 as well. Her win on court two gave the Aztecs a 4-0 lead. Elsewhere on court one Skrobonja, won her first set 6-2, and was up 4-3 in her match before her opponent had to retire due to injury, putting SDSU up 5-0.
Elsewhere for the Aztecs, Velcea competed hard on court five in singles play. She won her first set 6-4, but then fell in her second set, 2-6, and came up just short in her tiebreaker, falling 9-11. Also on court six, Azziz fought back and forth with Saara Orav. She fell in her first set 4-6, before bouncing back in the second set winning 6-4, but then fell in the tiebreaker 5-10.
Up Next: The Aztecs wrap up their four match homestand with a match against Hawai'i on Thursday. First serve is set for 2 p.m. PT at the Aztec Tennis Center.
No. 67 SDSU 5, No. 54 Rice 2
Singles Competition
No. 116 Andjela Skrobonja (SDSU) def Allison Zipoli (Rice), 6-2, 4-3 ret.
No. 120 Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Federica Trevisan (Rice), 6-3, 6-3
No. 81 Dariya Detkovskaya (SDSU) def. Diae El Jardi (Rice), 6-2, 6-3
Alicia Melosch (SDSU) def. Sydney Berlin (Rice), 6-4, 6-2
Maria Budin (Rice) def. Andreea Velcea (SDSU), 4-6, 6-2, 11-9
Sarra Orav (Rice) def. Rania Azziz (SDSU), 6-4, 4-6, 5-10
Doubles Competition
Rania Azziz/Alicia Melosch (SDSU) vs. Diae El Jardi/Maria Budin (Rice), 5-4, unfinished
Dariya Detkovskaya/Tamara Arnold (SDSU) def. Sydney Berlin/Federica Trevisan (Rice), 6-2
Andreea Velcea/Andjela Skrobonja (SDSU) vs. Allison Zipoli/Marte Lambrecht (Rice), 6-2