MALIBU, Calif. — The #6 Pepperdine women’s tennis team wasted no time in the season-opening match against San Diego State, as it swept the Aztecs 4-0 in the first round of the ITA Kickoff Weekend, held at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Friday.
In the brisk two-hour match, the Waves (1-0) had convincing leads in all three doubles matches against the Aztecs (0-1). When junior Savannah Broadus clinched the match for the Waves with a 6-4, 6-3 win on court two, Pepperdine players were up in all but one of the singles matches.
Friday’s win sets up a match with LSU tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. This will be the first time since 2008 the Waves have hosted the Tigers, which swept fellow West Coast Conference school LMU 4-0 on Friday afternoon. The winner punches its ticket to the ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championship, held in Seattle, Wash. from 9-12.
All three Pepperdine doubles teams jumped out to big leads over the Aztecs.
On the first position, the nation’s #4 team of Broadus and Janice Tjen won a key hold on deuce point to go up three games to one over SDSU’s Andjela Skrobonja and Andreea Velcea. From there, the duo didn’t relent. Tied at 30-all in the final game, Tjen’s overhead smash at the net, followed by Broadus uncorking a big forehand return brought match point, which Pepperdine won easily.
At the same time, Pepperdine’s teams of Vivian Yang and Lisa Zaar, plus Anna Campana and Nikki Redelijk got out to 5-2 leads and were serving for the doubles point concurrently before Campana and Redelijk sealed the deal in their 6-2 win.
Won the doubles point ✅
Sav + JT win 6-1 and Nikki + Anna win 6-2!#WavesUp | #ITAKickoff pic.twitter.com/ilEQ9bBh15
— Pepperdine Women’s Tennis (@WavesTennis) January 26, 2024
With the doubles point firmly in hand, Pepperdine’s players on lines four through six quickly overpowered their opponents. On the fourth line, #77 Redelijk breezed through the first set 6-0 while one court over, #79 Campana won her first set 6-0 while playing in her first match of the spring season. before Gloria Alogo mounted a comeback attempt in the second. With a 5-2 lead in the second set, Campana fought off three break points to force match point, which she won by overcoming Alogo in a nine-hit rally.
2️⃣ down, 2️⃣ to go!
Anna Campana wins 6-0, 6-2 in her first singles match of the spring!#WavesUp | #ITAKickoff pic.twitter.com/3W5c74iPqI
— Pepperdine Women’s Tennis (@WavesTennis) January 26, 2024
Over on court six, Jasmine Conway, too won her first set convincingly. But when SDSU’s Andreea Velcea broke Conway to take a 2-1 lead in the second set, a double-fault from Velcea on deuce point helped Conway break back. From that point forward, she faced little resistance en route to her 6-1, 6-3 win.
We see you, Jas! 👀
She wins 6-1, 6-3 on the sixth line!#WavesUp | #ITAKickoff pic.twitter.com/ANaOkCPHTG
— Pepperdine Women’s Tennis (@WavesTennis) January 26, 2024
Playing on court two, #21 Broadus and SDSU’s Andjela Skrobonja were knotted at four games all in the first set before Broadus won the next two games to turn the tide of the match. The second set was played on serve until Broadus broke Skrobonja in the fourth game to go up 3-1. Skrobonja broke Broadus, then Broadus broke back to take a 4-2 lead. Skrobonja held off Broadus once more in the eighth game, but Broadus would clinch for the Waves shortly thereafter in her 6-4, 6-3 win.
RESULTS
Singles
1. Lisa Zaar (PEPP) vs. Yasmine Kabbaj (SDSU) 6-4, 4-1, unfinished
2. #21 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. Andjela Skrobonja (SDSU) 6-4, 6-3
3. #96 Janice Tjen (PEPP) vs. #114 Myah Petchey (SDSU) 4-6, 6-1, unfinished
4. #77 Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) vs. Gloria Alogo (SDSU) 6-0, 5-3, unfinished
5. #79 Anna Campana (PEPP) def. Zoe Olmos (SDSU) 6-0, 6-2
6. Jasmine Conway (PEPP) def. Andreea Velcea (SDSU) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: 5,6,2*
Doubles
1. #4 Savannah Broadus/Janice Tjen (PEPP) def. Andjela Skrobonja/Andreea Velcea (SDSU) 6-1
2. Vivian Yang/Lisa Zaar (PEPP) vs. Myah Petchey/Yasmine Kabbaj (SDSU) 5-2, unfinished
3. Anna Campana/Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) def. Zoe Olmos/Gloria Alogo (SDSU) 6-2
Order of finish: 1,3
UP NEXT: The Waves will play LSU tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT. Links to live stats and the live stream can be found on the women’s tennis team’s schedule page on pepperdinewaves.com.
FOLLOW: Follow @WavesTennis on Facebook and X for immediate updates, results and more. Go to pepperdinewaves.com for all information, releases and schedules.