No. 17 Cal Bests No. 30 ASU 4-3

Berta Passola Folch posted her first clinching win of the season as Cal topped the Sun Devils.

TEMPE, Ariz. – The 17th-ranked California women’s tennis team came away from the Grand Canyon State with a sweep of the Arizona schools and a 2-0 start in the Pac-12 Conference, after Berta Passola Folch clinched the Golden Bears’ 4-3 victory over No. 30 Arizona State on Saturday at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
 
Cal – which defeated No. 41 Arizona, 5-2, on Friday in Tucson – improved its record to 7-2 (2-0 Pac-12). Arizona State is 7-6 (0-2).
 
The Bears trailed the Sun Devils 1-0 after losing the doubles point for just the second time this season. The Cal duo of Valentina Ivanov and Jessica Alsola beat Rachel Hanford and Sara Svetac, 6-3, on court two. But losses on court one and, in the clinching result, on court three gave ASU the early lead.
 
Cal bounced back in singles – with the 109th-ranked Lan Mi beating Patricija Spaka, 6-1, 6-0, the 23rd-ranked Hannah Viller Moeller defeating Marianna Argyrokastriti, 6-1, 6-1, and the 46th-ranked Ivanov prevailing, 7-6(4), 6-3, over Chelsea Fontenel – to take a 3-1 lead.
 
A clash of two nationally ranked players on court three – Cal’s 35th-ranked Alsola lost to ASU’s 103rd-ranked Emilija Tverijonaite, 6-3, 7-6(6) – brought the score to 3-2.
 
Cal needed to win one of the two remaining matches, which had each moved into a third set, while the Sun Devils needed to win both to capture the overall match. Passola Folch obliged, with the 107th-ranked sophomore besting Hanford, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, to give Cal a 4-2 lead and secure the victory. The last match ended with the 92nd-ranked Mao Mushika falling to ASU’s Svetac, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), to make the final score 4-3.
 
“It was a really good weekend, and the Bears did a nice job of getting these wins against two talented, ranked opponents,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “Both wins were very good team victories. We have a really deep team this year and have a lot of people who could step up. Even though we didn’t get the doubles point today, I’m happy with how we responded and happy with the team.
 
“It’s great to get in a rhythm of playing every weekend now, including next week, when we play two more ranked teams on the road.”
 
The Bears play at No. 14 San Diego next…