MALIBU, Calif. — After playing three competitive matches against nationally ranked Pac-12 Conference opponents, the #7 Pepperdine women's tennis team heads to the Pacific Northwest for West Coast Conference matches against Portland and Gonzaga.
Saturday's match at Portland is scheduled for 10 a.m., while Sunday's match at Gonzaga will start at noon. All live stream and live stat links can be found on the women's tennis team's schedule page at pepperdinewaves.com.
The Waves have won an impressive 74 consecutive matches in conference play in a streak dating back to the 2015 season. Pepperdine is a combined 39-0 all-time against Portland and Gonzaga.
MATCH 18: #7 Pepperdine (11-6, 2-0 WCC) at Portland (10-8, 3-2 WCC) | 10 a.m. | Portland, Ore. | Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center
MATCH 19: #7 Pepperdine (11-6, 2-0 WCC) at Gonzaga (7-11, 1-3 WCC) | 12 p.m. | Spokane, Wash. | Stevens Center
SCOUTING THE WAVES
Returning to WCC play after facing Pac-12 schools over the last two weeks, the Waves will get a change of pace this week against two unranked WCC foes. This weekend provides a few opportunities for Pepperdine to get back in the win column before closing out the season against #22 San Diego and Saint Mary's at home next week.
Earlier this week, Pepperdine suffered a difficult 4-3 loss to #15 UCLA, marking the second straight match the Waves have found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-3 result. Despite the losing skid, bright spots exist for Pepperdine, specifically with the play of #52 Janice Tjen at the first position. Playing atop the Waves' stacked lineup for the first time this season, Tjen has answered the call by winning both of her matches on court one — including a big, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-2 win over defending NCAA singles champion Tian Fangran of UCLA on Thursday. Aside from Tjen, #74 Nikki Redelijk is also on a team-leading five-match win streak at the fifth position, where she has won her last five matches in straight sets.
In doubles, Pepperdine looks to rebound after Thursday's match against UCLA, which was just the fifth time this season the Waves failed to win the doubles point. Consequently, the Waves are 1-4 when they lose the doubles point. The nation's second-ranked doubles team of Janice Tjen and Savannah Broadus look to bounce back from their first loss of the season against UCLA's #36 Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle. Jasmine Conway and Lisa Zaar are the only Waves doubles team on a winning streak; they have a 9-4 record this season and a 2-0 record against WCC opponents.
SCOUTING THE PILOTS
Picked to finish fifth in the WCC preseason polls, the Pilots are currently in fourth with a 3-2 record. Although the Pilots are 10-8 this season, Portland is a perfect 5-0 at the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center. In the non-conference slate, Portland and Pepperdine share just one common opponent in San Diego State, who Pepperdine swept during the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Pilots lost 5-2 to the Aztecs at home on Feb. 24.
Led by reigning WCC Singles Player of the Week Iva Zelic and junior Sally Pethybridge at the top of the lineup, the Pilots have found most of their singles success at the top of the lineup this season. Both players have won their last four singles matches heading into this weekend. Additionally, Zelic, Pethybridge and senior Rimona Rouf — who plays primarily at the fifth position — all have 4-1 records against WCC opponents. Zelic has a 12-3 record at the first position, while Pethybridge leads the team with 15 singles wins at the second position.
Portland has won the doubles point in four of the five matches during WCC play. Rouf and Alaia Rubio Perez enter the weekend winning their last five matches at the third doubles position, but Pethybridge and Zelic lead the team with a 10-2 record in dual match play — albeit all against unranked opponents.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Hosting the top two teams in the conference this weekend, the 7-11 Gonzaga Bulldogs will host #22 San Diego on Friday before playing their final home match against Pepperdine on Sunday. At 1-3 in WCC play, the young Gonzaga Bulldogs squad is looking to steer out of a three-match losing skid this weekend against the conference's toughest teams. Prior to this weekend, the Bulldogs fell in a 4-3 home match to LMU, in which the Zags won the doubles point and wound up on the wrong end of a three-setter on the last singles court to decide the match.
True freshman Emily Robertson — one of four underclassmen in the Zags' lineup — leads the team with a 9-5 record in dual singles play at the first position. She and fellow true freshman Ella Nielsen (who has six wins at the third position) have been through the wringer during their first collegiate tennis season; both freshmen are responsible for most of the team's wins at the top half of the lineup. Four-year senior Tiegan Aitken joins them in the top half of the lineup with a 6-7 mark at the second position.
Doubles play has been a challenge for the Bulldogs this year, as they have won the doubles point six times and just twice in conference play. Gonzaga has rolled with the same three doubles teams in WCC play: Aitken and fellow senior Kianna Oda have a 1-0 record at the first position, while Robertson and Nielsen are 1-1 in conference play at the second position. Both duos helped the Bulldogs clinch the doubles point against LMU last weekend.
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