By Tim Heiduk
January 26, 2020
 
(NORTHRIDGE, Calif.) Cade Pierson defeated UC Irvine's number one singles player in the season-opening match for the Westmont women's tennis team, ranked 14th in the NAIA. It wasn't enough for the Warriors to overcome the Anteaters on Saturday morning, though, as Westmont lost 1-6 to UC Irvine before dropping its afternoon match against another NCAA Division I opponent, Cal State Northridge, 0-7.
 
"The team dug deep today," Westmont head coach Ellie Johnson said. "It was a full day of matches and a day full of learning. A great foundation was laid to build on for the rest of the season."
 
Pierson's victory in singles was certainly the highlight of the day for the Warriors, as Pierson defeated Stephanie Nguyen in the number one position, 6-4, 6-2.
 
"She played with intensity and purpose and set herself up to take care of business," Johnson said of Pierson. "She is a leader in every sense of the word."
 
Sidney Lowry forced a tiebreak in number three singles against Jessica Tsukiji. She dropped the first set 4-6 before taking the second one, 6-3. Lowry ultimately was outdueled in the tiebreak, 4-10.
 
"Sidney was on the court the longest for both matches," Johnson said. "She battled and played the best tennis I have seen. She was dictating points and quickly switching to grind it out when necessary."
 
At number two singles, Flora Amiri defeated Emily Peterson 6-0, 6-2. Rachal Jackson fell to Halla Alajeely 2-6, 1-6 in the number four position, while Jenna Schlatter beat Christine Hemry 6-3, 6-0 at number five and Alyssia Fossorier defeated Ava Verchimak 6-0, 6-0 at number six.
 
UC Irvine claimed the one point available in doubles, given to the team who wins at least two out of the three doubles matches in the new scoring system.
 
Westmont's number one duo of Lowry and Jackson were the closest, falling 3-6 to Amiri and Tsukiji. Pierson and Peterson lost to Nguyen and Fossorier, 2-6, at number two, while Hemry and Ana Negri dropped their match at number three doubles to Schlatter and Arianna Tilbury, 1-6.
 
Johnson was pleased with what she saw out of her team in doubles, especially against UC Irvine. The Warriors do not return any pairings in doubles from last season.
 
"Our doubles responded well to the quick pace in the first matches," Johnson said. "Net plays we have been working on were coming together."
 
Johnson felt her team's play in doubles dropped off in the afternoon match against Cal State Northridge, but was proud of her players' effort in singles.
 
"We had a dip of focus and energy in the second round of doubles and got a little sloppy," Johnson said. "Every player found a way to be mentally focused and physically engaged in the second round of singles."
 
Cal State Northridge took the one point offered in doubles, winning all three matches. The tandem of Lowry and Jackson was defeated by Joelene Coetzee and Ana Fraile Toboso, 1-6, at number one, while number two duo Pierson and Peterson also dropped their match 1-6, to Ekatarina Repina and Jacquie Tan. Hemry and Negri were defeated by Emma Roenholt and Lisa-Marie Wurst, 0-6, at number three.
 
In singles, Pierson fell 4-6, 2-6 at number one to Repina. Lowry was the other Warrior to win four games in a single set, dropping her singles match against Coetzee at number three, 1-6, 4-6. Peterson fell to Tan at number two, 2-6, 1-6, while Jackson was defeated by Fraile Toboso in the number four position, 0-6, 2-6. Roenholt beat Hemry 6-2, 6-1 at number five and Wurst took down Verchimak 6-0, 6-0 at number six.
 
Westmont (0-2) returns to action this weekend with matches on Friday and Saturday. The Warriors will take on Cal State Los Angeles in Ojai on Friday at 2:00 p.m. before playing in their home opener on Saturday at noon against Redlands.
 
"We will pull a lot from these matches going into the rest of the season," Johnson said.