By Jacob Norling
February 22, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Women's Tennis has followed a trio of season-opening losses with three consecutive wins to immediately right the ship. On Saturday, Westmont's third in a row came at the hands of the Cal Lutheran Regals by a score of 4-3.
 
In doubles, it was nearly a carbon copy of last night's game, with Westmont's three's giving them a chance, and Westmont's two's coming up clutch. Justie Spitzer and Francesca Aguirre took care of their opposition quickly on court three with a 6-1 win, which preceded a win by Cal Lu on line one. It once again came down to Liska Knight and Sophia Ostovany on court two, where the duo once again did it in dramatic fashion, winning a tiebreaker 7-5 to win the set 7-6.
 
"We lost to Cal Lu two years ago, it was a tough one," reflected head coach Cade Pierson. "I felt like our team remembered that, and were geared up for this one. In doubles, it was the same story. The three's came out and did their job, and the two's played well under pressure again. Once again, they competed down to the wire in a tiebreaker. They have built a lot of trust in themselves, and in each other under pressure."
 
In singles, Lauren Gee continued to play strong tennis with a 6-1, 6-2 win at line three, before CLU got on the board with a pair of wins on lines four and one. Justie Spitzer was Westmont's next winner on five, where she outlasted her opponent 6-4, 7-5. After the Regals came out victorious on six, however, it came down to Ostovany in a thrilling third set on line two.
 
Ostovany rose to the occasion, winning her match 6-7, 6-2, and 7-5 to secure the victory.
 
"Sophia is hard on herself, and holds herself to a higher standard," said Pierson. "It was amazing to see her get to clinch this match. Even just last night, she was really discouraged after losing a tough three-setter there. For her to turn around the very next day and get it done in such a big moment, it's the epitome of believing that hard work will pay off.
 
"I was so happy for her to have that moment of getting to be the hero. She played amazingly under pressure. It made me really proud. As a coach, you can continue to try and instill confidence in your players, and I've been telling Sophia, 'it's coming, keep working'. It's special to get to hold on to moments like these where it does."