LOS ANGELES - Third-ranked California took a 3-2 lead at No. 7 USC in their Pac-12 Conference match on Saturday, but a season split with the Trojans was not to be. The Golden Bears fell, 4-3, at Marks Stadium in what was their fourth consecutive road dual match.
Cal suffered its first conference loss since 2013 and now has a 3-1 Pac-12 mark; the Bears are 12-3 overall. USC's record is 13-2 (2-0 Pac-12). Last season, the Bears won the Pac-12 championship with a 10-0 conference record. In 2013 they had a 9-1 Pac-12 record, and its lone conference loss that year was a 6-1 setback on March 29 at USC.
Saturday's match saw the 2015 singles debut of Cal junior Lynn Chi, the 2014 NCAA singles runner-up. Chi, ranked 34th, played at No. 6 singles on Saturday, but the All-American fell, 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3, to the 83rd-ranked Meredith Xepoleas, who clinched the overall match for the Trojans.
Earlier this season, USC beat Cal, 4-3, in a nonconference nailbiter in Berkeley.
“We played a lot better than when we played them at home,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “I can really see the improvement. They're a good team and compete really hard against us. We had our chances in the doubles point, but we rebounded in singles and won first sets on four of six courts.”
After USC won the doubles point, Cal took a 3-2 lead after fourth-ranked sophomore Maegan Manasse beat No. 36 Sabrina Santamaria, 6-1, 6-1, on court one, 61st-ranked Cal freshman Karla Popovic lost to the 88th-ranked Gabby Smith, 6-1, 6-1, on court five, 29th-ranked senior Zsofi Susanyi beat the 65th-ranked Madison Westby, 6-2, 6-4, on court four and 81st-ranked sophomore Denise Starr upset the 39th-ranked Zoë Scandalis, 6-4, 6-2, on court three.
On court two, 27th-ranked junior Klara Fabikova – who clinched Cal's 4-3 win at UCLA on Friday – won the first set against the 18th-ranked Giuliana Olmos. But the Trojan ultimately prevailed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, before Chi and Xepoleas settled things on court six.
“It was great to see Lynn back out on court for her first singles match in a while,” Augustus said. “She didn't obviously play as well as she would've liked, but it was good to see her out there again. With more practice and matches she'll be right back where she used to be.
“Also, I thought Maegan, Denise and Zsofi played really well today. They did a good job in the singles.”
In doubles, Cal won the first of the three matches, with the 11th-ranked pair of Fabikova and Susanyi beating the 17th-ranked pair of Olmos and Scandalis, 8-4, on court two. But USC secured the point when the team of Smith and Westby beat Chi and Popovic, 8-6, on court three and then the pair of Santamaria and Zoë Katz upset the fifth-ranked Manasse and Starr on court one, 8-6.
“It was a really good win for Zsofi and Klara in the doubles,” Augustus said. “We were really ready to go today even after yesterday's win. We'll take away things to work on. Overall it was a good match today. Credit to USC for hanging in there and competing till the end.”
Cal completes its last road trip of the regular season in Arizona, as the Bears play at Arizona on March 27 and at Arizona State on March 28.
“We'll have our third week in a row of road matches,” Augustus added, “where we've been getting mentally tougher each week. The team's been doing a really good job coming together and working hard on the road.”
#7 USC 4, #3 California 3
March 21, 2015
Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Doubles
(1) Katz/Santamaria (USC) def. #5 Manasse/Starr (Cal) – 8-6
(2) #11 Fabikova/Susanyi (Cal) def. #17 Olmos/Scandalis (USC) – 8-4
(3) Smith/Westby (USC) def. Chi/Popovic (Cal) – 8-6
USC wins doubles point
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1*
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
(1) #4 Maegan Manasse (Cal) def. #36 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) – 6-1, 6-1
(2) #18 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #27 Klara Fabikova (Cal) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
(3) #81 Denise Starr (Cal) def. #39 Zoë Scandalis (USC) – 6-4, 6-2
(4) #29 Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) def. #65 Madison Westby (USC) – 6-2, 6-4
(5) #88 Gabby Smith (USC) def. #61 Karla Popovic (Cal) – 6-1, 6-1
(6) #83 Meredith Xepoleas (USC) def. #34 Lynn Chi (Cal) – 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-3*
Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 3, 2, 6^
^Clinched the overall match
