After losing its first-round match to Long Beach State in the Big West Conference Tournament, the CSUN women’s tennis team came right back to close out its season with a victory over Idaho in the consolation bracket Saturday afternoon.
The Matadors final match, scheduled for later in the afternoon against Cal Poly, was cancelled. The coaches for both teams decided to cancel the fifth-place match due to high winds and poor weather that had already plagued the tournament.
CSUN finishes the season with a 9-14 record, including 3-6 in the Big West Conference. In the first match against the third seeded and defending conference champion 49ers, the Matadors found themselves overwhelmed in the 4-1 defeat.
Long Beach swept CSUN to earn the doubles point after Canna Furuta and Yasuyo Hashimoto were edged out 9-7 at the No. 2 spot and the team of Kanykey Koichumanova and Kasia Krasinska were defeated 8-3 at the No. 3 spot. The No. 1 teams did not finish their match.
In singles, Silvia Gutierrez was beaten 6-1 and 6-4, Furuta lost 6-3 and 6-1, and Koichumanova was also defeated 6-3 and 6-1. The Matadors lone point was scored by YuYu Myinttun who defeated Rachael Porsz fairly easily 6-1 and 6-3.
The Idaho match was a completely different story as CSUN dominated from the start, in winning 5-1. Gutierrez and Myinttun began doubles with an 8-4 win. Furuta and Hashimoto followed with an 8-4 loss, before Koichumanova and Krasinska closed out with a 9-7 win to earn the doubles point.
In singles, Gutierrez was dominant, posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Koichumanova battled back from one set down to post a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win. Myinttun had to battle from behind as well to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Hashimoto was victorious as well, winning 7-6 (2), 6-2. The only singles loss for the Matadors was Krasinska’s 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Efrat Leopold. Furuta did not finish her match.
The Matadors have no seniors on the team and, barring anything unforeseen, should return everyone next season, which bodes well for the future of the women’s tennis program.
