PacWest Conference Wrap-Up

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Cal State LA's women's tennis team looked for awhile like it had yet another magical performance in the making, but No. 1 BYU-Hawaii ultimately spoiled the show.

The Golden Eagles stunned the unbeaten Seasiders by taking two of the three doubles contests before BYU-Hawaii rebounded to take the four completed singles matches in a 5-2 victory in the PacWest Conference Tournament semi-finals Friday at the Surprise Tennis & Raquet Complex. Cal State LA (13-7), which is ranked No. 23 in the nation, was coming off an emotional 5-4 win over Azusa Pacific in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

No. 1 BYU-Hawaii (26-0) had dropped only 10 points total in its 25 previous matches this season. The Seasiders trailed after doubles for only the second time this season and for the first time since February. 

Cal State LA was in celebration mode early after a pair of big doubles wins staked the Golden Eagles to an early lead. Iris Raileanu and Isabella Lopez shocked the No. 4-ranked doubles team in the country, Min Liu/Leah Heimuli, 8-4, at No. 2 doubles for the first point and Elizaveta Sokolova and Luciana Di Laura gave the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead after an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles over Michelle Li Sha Khoo and Jeong-Min Jeon.

BYU-Hawaii, though, was simply too strong in the singles. The Seasiders feature three of the top 11 players in the most recent national rankings and won four singles point to advance to the conference finals for an 11th consecutive season. BYU-Hawaii is looking for its 11th straight conference title.

Two of the unfinished matches looked like they could have been headed to a third set. Sokolova was putting up a great battle against No. 2 Min Liu, narrowly dropping the first set, 6-4, and battling to a 3-3 score in the second set when it was halted. Raileanu won the opening set at No. 4 singles, 6-3, over Heimuli and was trailing in the second set.

Cal State LA will now face Academy of Art in the conference's third-place match on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles will look to avenge a regular-season loss to the Urban Knights.

#1 BYU-Hawaii 5, #23 Cal State LA 2
Apr 21, 2017 at Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Tennis & Raquet Complex)

Singles competition

1. #1 Nannan Zhang (BYUH) def. Nozomi Matsuoka (CSLA) 6-1, 6-2

2. #11 Xin Wen (BYUH) def. Kayleigh Hall (CSLA) 6-0, 6-0

3. #2 Min Liu (BYUH) vs. Elizaveta Sokolova (CSLA) 6-4, 3-3, unfinished

4. Leah Heimuli (BYUH) vs. Iris Raileanu (CSLA) 3-6, 5-2, unfinished

5. Michelle Li Sha Khoo (BYUH) def. Luciana Di Laura (CSLA) 6-3, 6-3

6. Jeong-Min Jeon (BYUH) def. Isabella Lopez (CSLA) 6-1, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. #2 Nannan Zhang/Xin Wen (BYUH) def. #14 Nozomi Matsuoka/Kayleigh Hall (CSLA) 8-3

2. Iris Raileanu/Isabella Lopez (CSLA) def. #4 Min Liu/Leah Heimuli (BYUH) 8-4

3. Elizaveta Sokolova/Luciana Di Laura (CSLA) def. Michelle Li Sha Khoo/Jeong-Min Jeon (BYUH) 8-5

Match Notes

Cal State LA 13-7; National ranking #23; Regional ranking #5

BYU-Hawaii 26-0; National ranking #1; Regional ranking #1

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,1,6,5)

PacWest Conference Championship Semifinal

Official: Tali Amir T-3:24 A-25