Dawgs Take Down Hogs In NCAA Tourney Opener

NCAA Championships – First and Second Rounds
Hosted by Oklahoma | Norman, Okla.

First Round; Friday, May 5

Washington def. Arkansas, 4-2

(13) Oklahoma vs. Hawaii, 1 p.m. PT | Live Results | Live Video

Second Round; Saturday, May 6

Washington vs. Oklahoma/Hawaii, 11 a.m. PT | Live Results | Live Video

NORMAN, Okla. – A strong top to bottom effort in singles led the Husky women’s tennis team to its first NCAA tourney win since 2019, as Washington knocked off Arkansas in the first round at Oklahoma’s Headington Family Tennis Center. Melissa Sakar had the clinching point at No. 6 singles to secure the 4-2 victory over the SEC foe.

 

The 21st-ranked Huskies (18-8) will advance to the second round where they will take on either the host and 13th-seeded Sooners, the Big 12 regular season co-champs, or Big West Champion Hawaii. The match will take place tomorrow, May 6, at 11 a.m. Pacific time.

Melissa CLINCHES!! ????

Dawgs knock out the Razorbacks and are on to NCAA Round ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/Rq4bsQ78WF

— Washington Women’s Tennis (@UW_WTennis) May 5, 2023

 
Arkansas got the jump on the Huskies in doubles and took the doubles point and the 1-0 lead in singles, but UW found its footing in singles play, taking four of the six first sets, and on the two courts where Arkansas won, the Huskies responded with second set wins.
 
Jennifer Kerr tied the dual up with the first Husky point, as she ran away with her second set at No. 4 singles to beat Lenka Stara, 6-4, 6-1.
 
At No. 2 singles, Sarah-Maude Fortin earned one of her best wins of the season as she upset 56th-ranked Kelly Keller, 6-2, 6-3, to give the Dawgs a 2-1 lead.
 
A pivotal point came at No. 3, where Astrid Olsen was facing Indianna Spink. Olsen won the first set, 6-2, then Spink won the second by the same score. Olsen took her first lead in the third set at 4-3, Spink tied it, then Olsen moved ahead, 5-4. Olsen would break through and close it out in the next game for the 6-4 win, putting the Huskies a point away.
 
Arkansas got its first singles point to close to 3-2 at No. 1 singles, as Hikaru Sato fell in three sets to 41st-ranked Carolina Gomez Alonso, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
 
The final two matches were up for grabs at No. 5 and No. 6 with UW needing one. At the six spot, Sakar had staged a major rally to win her first set, 7-5, over Kacie Harvey. She was down 3-5 and 0-40, saving four set…