STANFORD, Calif. – California freshman Anna Bright posted an impressive victory on Friday at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships as she and teammates Olivia Hauger and Maria Smith advanced to the quarterfinals in main draw singles. Two Cal doubles teams also reached the regional round of 16 at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
 
Seeded ninth, Bright upset Stanford's fifth-seeded and 44th-ranked Emma Higuchi, 6-3, 6-4, on the latter's home court. Also in the round of 16, Smith, a junior likewise seeded ninth, topped Gonzaga's Nevada Apollo, 6-4, 6-2, and Hauger, a junior seeded eighth and ranked 75th, bested Gonzaga's Kate Ketels, 7-5, 6-4.
 
"Anna played two players with two different game styles today, and wasn't hitting the ball part cleanly in the first match (against Oregon's Julia Eshet) but worked through it and got better as match went on," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said of Bright's 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win in the round of 32. "Coming into the match with Higuchi after a long three-set match, she did well to focus and to execute the gameplan against Higuchi, who is a very good player. She made a lot of adjustments, but Anna withstood those and close out the match aggressively. Today showed that her fitness level is on track, and I'm pleased to see how she closed that match out against a well-respected and highly ranked player."
 
In main draw doubles, the top-seeded and 11th-ranked pair of Hauger and senior Karla Popovic had an injury walkover against Stanford's Higuchi and Kimberly Yee to advance out of the round of 32. Smith and freshman Jasie Dunk beat San Jose State's Clara Mantaux and Jackie Wagner, 8-4, to join their teammates in the next round.
 
"Having three Bears through to the singles quarterfinals and two doubles teams reach  the round of 16 were good accomplishments today," Augustus said. "It's only day two, but we're off to a really great start. We had about a two-hour rain delay this morning from the rain last night. The team handled it well, and we're excited to rest up a bit and do it again tomorrow."
 
Saturday's action at regionals will include one round of main draw singles starting at 12 p.m. and up to two rounds of main draw doubles, starting with the round of 16 at 10 a.m. The tournament ends on Monday.
 
ITA Northwest Regional Championships
Oct. 20, 2017, in Stanford, Calif.
Taube Family Tennis Stadium
 
Main Draw Singles
 
Round of 32
[8] No. 75 Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Kate Ketels (Gonzaga), 7-5, 6-4
[9] Maria Smith (Cal) def. Laura Malsert (SJSU), 6-1, 6-1
[9] Anna Bright (Cal) def. Julia Eshet (Oregon), 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
 
Round of 16
[8] No. 75 Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Emma Wilson (Fresno State), 6-4, 6-1
[9] Maria Smith (Cal) def. Nevada Apollo (Gonzaga), 6-4, 6-2
[9] Anna Bright (Cal) def. Emma Higuchi (Stanford), 6-3, 6-4
 
Consolation Singles
 
Round of 64
Caroline Lampl (Stanford) def. Vivian Glozman (Cal), 4-6, 6-2, 1-0(7)
Grace Olyphant (Cal Poly) def. Audrey Mayer (Cal), 6-1, 4-6, 1-0(6)
 
Main Draw Doubles
 
Round of 32
No. 11 Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (Cal) def. Emma Higuchi/Kimberly Yee (Stanford), w/o (inj.)
Jasie Dunk/Maria Smith (Cal) def. Clara Mantaux/Jackie Wagner (SJSU), 8-4