Aggies’ hot start has team confident to compete for Big West crown

It’s only February, but the UC Davis women’s tennis team is getting its gears turning early. The Aggies have won eight of their first 11 matches this season and have enjoyed top-level performances from almost every spot on the roster. But the team’s winning record so far is only a part of what makes head coach Bill Maze so adamant about the winning potential of this year’s squad.

The team’s success this month hit its peak on Feb.13, when the Aggies earned a statement victory over conference rival and last year’s Big West Conference regular season champions Hawai’i. The 4-2 win was the first time that a UC Davis women’s tennis team had defeated the Rainbow Wahine since 2007. In fact, UC Davis had fallen to Hawai’i on five straight occasions going into this season’s match, but the Aggies were able to turn the tide by dominating the Wahine in singles play after dropping the doubles point.

“I got to work on figuring Hawai’i out with the dubs,” Maze said. “But I think we just got a team that believes in themselves. [This team has] a lot of talent, they never give up.”

The Aggies did not let their failures in the doubles matches interfere with how they competed across the board in singles. When all was said and done, UC Davis swept singles play, winning four of the five completed matches –– all in straight sets. Even at the number one spot, senior Kristy Jorgensen fought to a third set and was leading 3-1 when sophomore Kristina Breisacher won at the two spot to seal the win for UC Davis.

“The fact that we won in straight sets at number two, three, four and five –– and we were up in the third set at number one –– it wasn’t like it was a fluke,” Maze said. “It was legit.”

Winning the four straight-set singles matches was just the start that the Aggies wanted in their first conference slate of the season –– especially given the team’s past struggles with Hawai’i. Maze believes that this win in particular was a unique display of the talent that this unit possesses and will “breed confidence” for the team in the matches to come.

Before their next batch of conference matches, however, the Aggies squared off against a pair of northern California private schools over president’s day weekend. The first of the two contests fell in UC Davis’ favor, as the Aggies traveled to the city by the bay to down the University of San Francisco Dons by a 4-1 score. This time, the Aggies secured the doubles point with a pair of 6-2 set wins coming from both the two and three spots.

When singles play rolled around, Breisacher finished her two-spot matchup first, making quick work of her opponent –– USF’s Anna Sokiran –– to advance to a 6-4, 6-0 straight sets victory. In the one spot, though, the Aggies lost their only point of the match when Jorgensen retired after the second set due to a nagging injury that prevented her from playing on into the third.

On the other singles courts, the surface conditions swiftly became dangerous. On nearly every court except for the number one court, a strip of water appeared to be rising up and dampening the court from below. This made the playing surface on these courts too slippery to play on. While freshman Sara Tsukamoto was able to finish out her match with a 6-2, 6-4 win, the other three singles matches had to be delayed.

Junior Isabella von Ebbe and her opponent, USF’s Alexa Meyer, were nearly through the first set of the number six match when their court was deemed unsafe. With similar hazards on almost all other courts, von Ebbe’s match was delayed and then finally relocated to the one’s court where the surface was not affected by damp conditions.

“Once you’ve already started a match, you’re already in it and you’re focused,” von Ebbe said. “Then to have some curveball thrown, like water coming up from the bottom of the court, is definitely a weird situation.”

All the eyes were now on von Ebbe and Meyer battle it out on the main court. Players and coaches from both teams, because none of the other matches could be played, sat bundled in layers and blankets to keep warm in the midst of the cold San Francisco evening that kept creeping closer. Seeing all of her teammates huddled on the sidelines gave von Ebbe an extra incentive to try and end the match by winning the final point that the Aggies needed.

“It was all the more fun to be the only one on, under the lights, everyone watching that one match and having my entire team playing every point with me,” von Ebbe said. “That’s not something that happens in your typical college match where there’s six courts and people playing on each court.”

Von Ebbe fell 6-3 in the first set, but would roar back to win the second set 6-4 in dramatic fashion. The path to victory was now clear; if von Ebbe won the third set, UC Davis would clinch the match by securing its fourth point. If she did not win, the next remaining unfinished singles match would then have to be played. If the Aggies did not win that match either, there was yet another unfinished match to be played.

“In the back of my head, I did have that thought that this match could go on til midnight if I don’t turn this around, come back and win this second and take it in the third,” von Ebbe said. “There was definitely more motivation to win that one.”

Fortunately for the Aggies, von Ebbe cruised to a 6-2 victory in the final set to clinch the match for the team and avoided prolonging the match deeper into the chilly evening. For Maze, the ability of von Ebbe and the entire team to prevail on the road despite the unusual circumstances shows that the Aggies are more than just talented –– they are “resilient.”

UC Davis had little rest following this unorthodox win in San Francisco. The Aggies returned to Davis to play Saint Mary’s College the next day at 12 p.m. The Gaels turned out to be a much more formidable opponent than the Dons were for a tired UC Davis team, battling past the Aggies for a 5-2 win. But according to Maze, even with the Aggies’ consistent number one option, Jorgensen, sidelined due to the same injury that prevented her from continuing in San Francisco, the match was much closer than the score would indicate.

Von Ebbe and redshirt sophomore Kelsie Bryant claimed the first doubles victory in a 6-1 set, but Breisacher and senior Lani-Rae Green could not overcome the Gael’s number one doubles team. The doubles point thus came down to the number two match, where Tsukamoto and sophomore Nikita Pradeep narrowly lost in a 7-6 nailbiter. In singles, there were some close matches as well. Maze opted to put Breisacher in the one spot in place of the injured Jorgensen, and although Breisacher has rarely played at the one spot, she was able to take SMC’s Maria Kozyreva into a third set.

“I was proud of our team, I think it was a good battle,” Maze said. “I think that [the loss], instead of bumming [the team] out, they thought ‘man, this team’s ranked and we were right there with them.’ I think it just gave them more and more encouragement. [SMC’s] number one doubles team is ranked 35 in the country and we lost that set 6-4 with our normal number two doubles team.”

Despite suffering just their second loss of the season, the Aggies were able to perform well against highly-ranked opponent –– something that this team has done consistently so far this season. Maze accredits this tendency to the team’s “even-keeled” nature.

“I don’t think they treat any team differently,” Maze said. “I think they play the same way every match. […] They always want to win. That’s a good quality –– to be even-keeled about your competition. You don’t want to get way up for one match, and then be overconfident in another one. They play the same consistently good tennis.”

Looking further down the schedule, the Aggies will be needing to rely on the same consistency to be successful in the conference this season, as matches against top-tier talent loom. And while talent, resiliency and consistency are all excellent traits to possess, Maze also notes that a team also has to “get lucky” in order to have a truly great year.

“You got to have not many injuries and players have to get along,” Maze said. “They’ve got to love to play and be hard workers. We have most of those ingredients, but the injury thing, you just can’t control it.”

The work ethic, however, is one thing that Aggies are certainly in control of. And while the entire team works exceptionally hard on and off the court, the team’s two true sophomores have especially shined this season. Pradeep, for one, was awarded Big West player of the week honors for her stellar singles victories in both the Hawai’i and Saint Mary’s matches. Breisacher has come into her own in her second season as well, sporting a 5-4 singles record as a top-two option in each match.

“We believe in them totally,” Maze said. “From the day they showed up in Davis they’ve proven that they know how to win. They’re talented, they work hard and they’re just really competitive people. They do not like to lose. [Pradeep] had a phenomenal record last year and she’s 8-0 this year. [Breisacher] has proven to me that she can win in one of the top two spots. We’re lucky to have them.”

Pradeep and Breisacher have been high-level contributors for the Aggies, but at such an early point in the season, anyone on the roster can still have an opportunity to rise to the occasion as UC Davis continues to fight to secure its first conference championship.

The Aggies were shut out by UCSB on Saturday, losing 4-0, but bounced back with a close win at Cal Poly on Sunday, winning 4-3. The women’s tennis team will take the Marya Welch Tennis Center again this Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m. to face Cal State Northridge.

Written by: Dominic Faria — sports@theaggie.org

Irvine unable to match the Aggies’ hot start

The UC Davis women’s basketball team entered the final home game of the season with the momentum of its four game win-streak intact. With the UC Irvine Anteaters coming on the heels of a two-game losing streak, but 9-4 record overall in conference play, the Aggies went into the game knowing their opponent would not go down without a fight. After honoring their departing seniors, who were stepping onto Bob Hamilton Court for the last time of their collegiate careers, the ball was tipped off and the team was ready to play.
It was an emotional game for the Aggie seniors and their teammates alike. Though there is more basketball to be played, knowing that they would not return to the floor where they spent the last four years of their playing careers bore bittersweet emotions. For senior forward Dani Nafekh, it was a time of reflection.

“I’m trying not to think of it as the last time,” Nafekh said. “I know it is, but it just was so much fun. I just tried to appreciate being out there with my team. We were thinking of it as the championship game rather than our last time. I just thought that we were very focused and ready to play.”

Senior forward Pele Gianotti echoed Nafekh’s emotions, saying that while it was fun, she tried to wear her emotions on her sleeve once the ball tipped off.

“Before I was getting a little emotional,” Gianotti said. “But, once you’re on the court, you’re there, and you’re just doing what you’ve always done the last four years. So, it’s not super different when you’re on the court.”

Once the game began, an apparent leg injury to senior guard Rachel Nagel left the entire arena silent — though Nagel would make another appearance at the end of the game to great applause. The team responded to the early scare in red-hot fashion by opening up with a 15-0 run and a 20-6 advantage going into the second. Nafekh would lead the initial charge with eight points in the first quarter, including two early buckets from downtown. Head coach Jennifer Gross praised her team’s fiery start, crediting its work on the defensive end dictating the rest of the game.

“I really liked our defensive energy from the start,” Gross said. “We started the game getting six or seven stops in a row. Obviously, when our defense is strong it’s fueling our offense.That’s the way we always like to think about it — our defense fueling our offense.”
Despite UC Irvine’s first quarter struggles, the team showed life in the second quarter, cutting an early 16-point deficit in half on a layup by freshman guard Autumn Baumgartner. The Aggies would respond with haste, however, extending their lead to 15 points going into halftime. According to Gianotti, the team’s fighting spirit and ability to stick together were key to keeping its composure as the Anteaters tried to fight their way back into the game.

“The coaches called the timeout and they really sat us down and said, ‘This is how you want the game to be. Do you want it to be stressful?’” Gianotti said. “No. I did not. It’s just kind of a refocusing. We never give up.”

Irvine would respond with intensity in the second of play, but the Aggies refused to relent. After a late-game surge, the Aggies early onslaught proved insurmountable, ending the game with the 66-56 victory. Though the first-half defense built the early lead, it was the second half defense that prevented the Anteaters from getting back into the game.

Nafekh led the team in scoring with 17 points to go with two assists, three boards, and two steals. Gianotti had 11 points to go with seven rebounds. The rest of the team provided a balanced effort, with Morgan Bertsch chipping in with 10 points and 2 rebounds and freshman guard Cierra Hall getting nine points off the bench. Junior guard Kourtney Eaton helped drive the offensive effort with seven assists on the night to go with six points.

Despite securing the top spot on the Big West Conference standings, the team sees opportunity for growth during its final two games on the road. Knowing that nothing is set in stone come March, Gross is making a special effort to make sure that her team stays hungry as it sets it sights toward March Madness.

“From day one, we said that every single day, we’re going to keep improving,” Gross said. “I look at that game, I still feel like there’s a lot of areas that they can continue to get better. The cool thing about this team is that they recognize that. They come back to work every single day ready to improve, and we want to be at our very best come tournament time.”

The Aggies take their winning streak on the road tonight at 7 p.m., where they will face Cal State Fullerton before heading down to UC Riverside for one last regular season game on Saturday, March 3 at 4 p.m.

Written by: Bradley Geiser — sports@theaggie.org

Early season tumble for UC Davis baseball continues with fifth straight defeat

The UC Davis baseball team fell to Creighton in eleven innings by a final score of 10-7 on Sunday afternoon at Phil Swimley Field, completing a three-game sweep for the visitors. The Aggies have now lost five consecutive games after opening the season with a pair of victories last week.

The Aggies fell behind in all three contests over the weekend, and their late-inning comeback rallies came up short on each occasion.

On Sunday afternoon, UC Davis found itself in a 7-5 hole with six outs left to play. The Aggies made it a one-run game in the bottom of the eighth when redshirt sophomore catcher Logan Denholm came off the bench and beat out an infield single to drive in sophomore first baseman Alejandro Lara.

After back-to-back walks with one out in the bottom of the ninth, junior second baseman Caleb Van Blake lined an RBI single to right field to tie the game at 7-7. However, UC Davis was unable to further capitalize on the opportunity, stranding the potential winning run on third base with a strikeout and a ground out.

Creighton exploded for three runs in the top of the eleventh inning to grab a 10-7 lead, highlighted by a two-run double down the left field line. The Aggies were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.

After conceding a pair of unearned runs to open the ballgame, due to an error on the infield, the Aggies erupted for a five-run rally in the bottom of the first. Redshirt junior designated hitter Ryan Anderson smacked an RBI single up the middle and senior shortstop Brad Pluschkell scored on a balk during the next at-bat. Then, Van Blake crushed a long three-run home run over the right field wall to give UC Davis its first and only lead of the day.

Overall, UC Davis had a hard time creating any momentum early in the game, giving up runs in each of the first four innings. The team also struggled to take advantage of some prime offensive opportunities throughout the afternoon, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position on two separate occasions.

One of the bright spots for the Aggies in the series was the play by Pluschkell, last week’s Big West Conference Player of the Week. Pluschkell continued his offensive hot streak, going 8-16 at the plate and scoring a run in each game. Primarily in the No. 2 spot in the lineup, he currently leads the team with a .563 batting average and 18 hits.

Friday afternoon’s series opener saw UC Davis lose by a final score of 6-3. Trailing 4-1 for most of the game, the Aggies battled back to make it a one-run affair with two runs in the seventh inning. Anderson ripped a home run over the left field wall, his first of the season, to get the scoring started.

The Aggies were not able to push across the tying run in a scoreless eighth, leaving two runners on base, before Creighton regained all the momentum with a two-run ninth inning to make it 6-3.

On Saturday, UC Davis played from behind for the entirety of the afternoon and faced a tough 6-1 deficit after just four innings.

The Aggies managed to come within two runs entering the ninth inning, taking advantage of a Creighton error and scoring three times to make it 6-4. Once again, the visitors added a run in the top of the ninth inning to halt the momentum and UC Davis went down quietly in its final at-bat to end the ballgame.

The Aggies’ eight-game homestand continues this weekend with a three-game set against St. John’s and culminates with a game versus St. Mary’s on Monday afternoon.

Written by: Brendan Ogburn — sports@theaggie.org