SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women’s tennis clinched a share of the Mountain West Regular Season Championship on Sunday after a 4-0 sweep of New Mexico at the Aztec Tennis Center. The Aztecs captured the doubles point as well as victories on courts two, three and six to roll to their seventh straight win.
San Diego State improves to 15-6 overall and 8-1 in the Mountain West while the Lobos fall to 8-14 on the season and 2-7 in conference play.
The Scarlet and Black will look to clinch a solo championship as well as a No. 1 conference tournament seed as they take on UNLV (16-5, 7-2 MW) on Thursday.
The Aztecs won its sixth straight doubles point, taking courts one and three. Playing in the top spot, Liisa Varul and Jo-Yee Chan defeated Maud Vandeputte and Coumba Ben Niangadou 6-2. Zoe Olmos and Gloria Alogo clinched the point with a 6-4 win over Sofia Taborga and Marika Matsoukatidi on court three. Ninon Martinache and Vesa Gjinaj led Sarah O’Connor and Maria Sodre 5-4 when the point was secured.
Olmos was the first to add a point in singles competition, taking down Matsoukatidi 6-2, 4-0 in a match that was retired on court three.
Martinache then extended the Scarlet and Black’s lead with a 6-0, 6-1 win over O’Connor in the second spot. Martinache remains undefeated in conference play with an 8-0 record.
Freshman Charlotte Roesch clinched the sweep for the Aztecs, defeating Taborga 6-0, 6-2 on court six. It’s the first clinch of Roesch’s career.
The Aztecs led in all three unfinished matches. In the top spot, Chan was ahead 6-4, 3-2 over Vandeputte. The court four matchup between Varul and Sodre was left at 6-4, 0-2 and Gjinaj led Niangadou 6-1, 2-1 on the fifth court.
“A regular season championship is something that we’ve talked about and been working towards for the entire season,” said head coach Peter Mattera. “To be where we are right now, regular season conference champions, feels right, but we’re not satisfied. We’d certainly like to carry that forward, go into the tournament as the number one seed and win it.”
Thursday’s regular season finale against UNLV is set to get underway at 1 p.m. San Diego State will honor seniors Yasmine Kabbaj and Zoe Olmos in a senior day celebration.
Doubles
1. Liisa Varul/Jo-Yee Chan (SDSU) def. Maud Vandeputte/Coumba Ben Niangadou (NM) 6-2
2. Ninon Martinache/Vesa Gjinaj (SDSU) vs. Sarah O’Connor/Maria Sodre (NM) DNF 5-4
3. Zoe Olmos/Gloria Alogo (SDSU) def. Sofia Taborga/ Marika Matsoukatidi (NM) 6-4
Singles
1. Jo-Yee Chan (SDSU) vs. Maud Vandeputte (NM) DNF 6-4, 3-2
2. Ninon Martinache (SDSU) def. Sarah O’Connor (NM) 6-0, 6-1
3. Zoe Olmos (SDSU) def. Marika Matsoukatidi (NM) 6-2, 4-0 (retired)
4. Liisa Varul (SDSU) vs. Maria Sodre (NM) DNF 6-4, 0-2
5. Vesa Gjinaj (SDSU) vs. Coumba Ben Niangadou (NM) DNF 6-1, 2-1
6. Charlotte Roesch (SDSU) def. Sofia Taborga (NM) 6-0, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles: (1,3) Singles: (3,2,6)