From Reports By Long Beach State Sports Information Dept.

A lot of coaches talk about how the conference schedule differs from non-conference play, and how it’s their job to keep the team motivated and focused.  If that’s the case, coach Jenny Hilt-Costello is doing a bang up job.

Beach tennis picked up a second win in as many days, stepping up their game in dropping No. 59 Saint Mary’s at the Rhodes Tennis Center on Saturday 5-2. Long Beach State swept in doubles and then took the top four matches to get the win.

The 49ers started the day by picking up the doubles point, as Hannah Grady and Jessica Weeks started things off by beating the ranked tandem of Poorta and Soper 8-5 at No. 1 doubles, with additional wins coming in the other two matches to give Long Beach State a point to start the team competition.

Heading into singles, Hannah Grady again got the best of the ranked Alex Poorta, coming in at No. 42 in singles as well. Grady outlasted Poorta 7-6 in the first set, and then cruised in the second 6-1. Anais Dallara won at No. 4 6-4, 6-4, and Rachel Manasse battled past a bad fever and Clair Soper to clinch the match at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 7-6. Deborah Armstong also won a tight match, defeating Anna Chikhikvishvili 6-2, 6-7[5], 7-6 [3].

Long Beach State comes back to Big West action, next week, playing two key matches against UC Irvine and Cal Poly. The 49ers will travel to face UC Irvine in Irvine on Thursday, March 5.

Doubles
Grady/Weeks, LBSU def. #42 Poorta/Soper, SMC, 8-5
Armstrong/Sutton, LBSU def. Chikhikvishvili/Strijbis, SMC, 8-6
Dallara/Manasse, LBSU def. Calvo/Young, SMC, 8-4

Singles
Hannah Grady, LBSU def. #42 Alex Poorta, SMC, 7-6 [4], 6-1
Deborah Armstrong, LBSU, Anna Chikhikvishvili, SMC, 6-2, 6-7 [5], 7-6 [3]
Rachel Manasse, LBSU def. Claire Soper, SMC, 6-4, 7-6 [3]
Anais Dallara, LBSU def. Sabine Gunnarsson, SMC, 6-4, 6-4
Marah Calvo, SMC def. Julie Luzar, LBSU, 6-2, 6-3
Molly Aloia, SMC, def. Lisa Sutton, 6-0, 6-4