Mady Mertens / KLC fotos
Valentina Ivanov fell in the NCAA singles round of 64 on Monday to end her college career.
STILLWATER, Okla. – A stellar season for the California women’s tennis team resulted in three Golden Bears reaching the NCAA Singles Championship that began Monday evening at the Greenwood Tennis Center. But all three Bears – the recently graduated Valentina Ivanov and Hannah Viller Moeller along with rising senior Katja Wiersholm – fell in the opening round of 64.
In the Bears’ first match of the day, the 43rd-ranked Ivanov faced Georgia’s 70th-ranked Anastasiia Lopata. Previously in the NCAA Championship, Cal played at Georgia in the May 10 super regional, with the Bears’ Jessica Alsola defeating Lopata. But this time the Bulldog prevailed against a Bear, 6-3, 6-2, to end the collegiate career of Ivanov.
Viller Moeller, ranked 44th, had a challenging draw in the first round against Texas A&M’s top-seeded and top-ranked Mary Stoiana, whose Aggies defeated Georgia in the final of the NCAA Championship on Sunday in Stillwater. In her last collegiate singles match, Viller Moeller fell to Stoiana 6-2, 6-0.
In one of the last matches of the night, the 49th-ranked Wiersholm played another Georgia Bulldog in the 41st-ranked Alexandra Vecic. Wiersholm battled for three sets but lost to Vecic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to complete her season.
“We happened to play three opponents today who had already played three matches on these courts,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “Everyone at this tournament is good, but opponents getting the opportunity to play matches on these courts already had some effect.
“The Bears competed hard today, and I’m really proud of them. Being at this tournament is an honor, and we’re not done yet with two Bears in NCAA doubles tomorrow.”
In the opening round of 32 of the NCAA Doubles Championship on Tuesday, the 18th-ranked Viller Moeller and Mao Mushika play the top overall seed – Pepperdine’s second-ranked Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen – at 7:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. PT.
NCAA Singles Championship – Cal Results
May 20, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla.
Greenwood Tennis Center
Round of 64
No. 70 Anastasiia Lopata (Georgia) def. No. 43 Valentina Ivanov (Cal), 6-3, 6-2
[1] No. 1 Mary Stoiana…
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