Tennis Finishes Regular Season with Loss to Conference Champion UCSB, 5-2

Friday, April 19

Northridge, Calif.

1:00 p.m.

California State University at Northridge

UC Santa Barbara

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Tennis Finishes Regular Season with Loss to Conference Champion UCSB, 5-2

4/19/2019 6:07:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

NORTHRIDGE, Calif - The CSUN women's tennis team (14-5, 3-5 BWC) dropped its final regular season match against UC Santa Barbara (12-7, 6-1 BWC), 5-2 on a sunny Senior Day in Northridge on Friday. CSUN fell to the 2019 Regular Season Big West Champion Gauchos after a back and forth contest on what was an emotional day for the small but tight group of CSUN tennis ladies. Seniors Skyla Alcon and Monika Van de Vondel were honored after the match in post-game ceremonies.

"This team has been all in since day one," said head coach Gary Victor. "Everyday is a joy. It is a pleasure getting to coach this team because I am so proud of them. Today I think the emotions of senior day manifested itself with the play on the court, but losing 5-2 to the the top team in conference, there is no shame in that." He concluded.

The 2019 women's tennis squad has posted the team's best winning percentage since Victor's initial year at CSUN in 1998 when the team finished 17-6 and 3-1 in the Big Sky Conference. The 2019 rendition finished the season undefeated in non-conference play and it seemed that even losses were close, as the Matadors fell in Big West matches by narrow margins of 4-3 on three different occasions.

On Friday, CSUN began the day by dropping the doubles point. Amit Lev Ari and Elizaveta Volodko paired up for the second time this year and took down Jolene Coetzee and Ana Isabel Fraile Toboso, 6-1. The Gauchos would clinch the point when Tiffany Lagarde and Dominika Paterova defeated Sibel Demirbaga and Emma Roenholt, 6-2.

The seniors Alcon and Van de Vondel paired up for the final time at home on what was a day filled with a roller coaster of emotions. "It was emotional, I think our one thing was to continue to have fun. It is hard to not get caught in the moment," said Alcon, the senior from Hawai'i. "I feel it is so easy with this team we have to go on a run in the conference tournament, and set them up for the future." Alcon said.

The coaching staff had some thoughts on the seniors playing their final home match.

"I want these girls to take away from Skyla and Monika is to be inclusive to everyone, and welcoming while trying to put the team above yourself. These players gave everything they had and I hope they pass on the mantra of being the best athlete and student that they can be." Victor said.

UCSB would go on to ruin the fun of CSUN's last home match by taking the first three matches of singles play.

Van de Vondel would drop her final regular season singles match against Lev-Ari in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.

Coetzee finishes her freshman season at 10-5 as she drops her last regular season contest against Voldoko, 6-2, 6-3.

Alcon dropped the match-clinching contest against Tiffany Lagarde, 6-1, 6-2.

CSUN would earn points when freshman Fraile Toboso grabbed her 16th win on the season as the Spaniard defeated Dominika Paterova 6-4, 7-6 (5). She finishes what has been a stellar freshman season at 16-1 and winning 10 out of her final 11 individual matches.

Sibel Demirbaga earned a win for herself as she took down Juliana Valero in the the most back-and-forth match of the dual, 4-6, 6-3, 11-9. The freshmen duo of Demirbaga and Fraile Toboso lead the team in singles wins with 16 each. The freshmen trio of Demirbaga, Fraile Toboso and Coetzee have a combined 42 wins on the 2019 campaign.

The Matadors finish the season likely tied for fifth in conference heading into the the Big West Tournament. Opponent is to be determined but play will begin in Indian Wells, Calif on Thursday, Apr 25.