TEMPE, Ariz. – On a hotter than normal March afternoon at Whiteman Tennis Center, the Sun Devil women's tennis team seemed to use it to their advantage, as they swept Utah (3-2, 0-1) by a score of 4-0 to open up Pac-12 play on Friday.
The match was the first conference meeting for both squads, with ASU (6-3, 1-0) starting off on the right foot thanks to seniors Kassidy Jump and Gussie O'Sullivan, and junior Nicole Fossa-Huergo.
"I thought overall it was a well-played match for us," said head coach Sheila McInerney. "Last year we played them up in Utah, and it was a really tough match like this one. We won the doubles point and it was nice for Kassidy to get a win. She had a tough couple opponents last weekend against (Luisa) Stefani and (Francesca) Di Lorenzo, so it was good for her to get on and off the court quickly.
"The rest of the matches other than Gussie's were close. We expected a tough one, but I'm happy for the team."
The doubles point didn't come easy for the Devils, but junior Kelley Anderson and freshman Savannah Slaysman sure made it look so on court two. After going back and forth through the first three points and a 2-1 lead for the Utes, the duo rattled off five straight points to take the match 6-2 over Taylor Calton and Jena Cheng.
Back on court one, No. 44 Alex Osborne and Fossa-Huergo got off to a 3-1 lead early on before Utah's pair of Margo Pletcher and Brianna Turley tied it up at three-all. The Australian-Italian duo from ASU found a way as they have five other times this season, winning 6-4 to clinch the doubles point.
After playing two of the top ranked singles players in the country a weekend ago, and holding her own in the first set with both of them, Jump rolled that momentum into Friday. In what seemed like minutes not hours, No. 97 Jump handled Pletcher on court one, rolling to a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
With a 2-0 lead, O'Sullivan was taking care of business as well on court six against Whitney Turley. 'The Grinder' won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, for the 3-0 lead and putting ASU on the brink of clinching the match.
In the meantime, No. 70 Anderson and Slaysman were grinding it out in their own respective matches on court three and five. After both of them lost their first sets, the two fought back to force third sets and avoiding sweeps.
In her second set against Alexia Petrovic, Anderson rallied from down 3-4 to win three-straight games to win 6-4 and force her third set – which eventually went abandoned.
The rookie on court five was also in a hole in her second frame, trailing Calton 4-5 with her back up against the wall. Slaysman rattled off three-straight as well to win 7-5 and force the third – which also went abandoned.
Their two matches went abandoned due to Fossa-Huergo's match-clinching sweep on court four over Cheng. Their two sets saw eight lead changes, including Fossa-Huergo rallying from down 4-5 in the first set to win 7-5. She then won four-straight games from a 2-2 tie in the second to win 6-2 and clinch the match.
The Devils return to Whiteman on Saturday at noon to host Colorado (8-4, 0-1), who lost 4-0 to the University of Arizona on Friday afternoon in Tucson.
#40 Arizona State – 4, Utah – 0
Whiteman Tennis Center
Friday, March 10
Doubles
1.#44 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU) def. Pletcher/B. Turley (UTAH) – 6-4
2. Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) def. Calton/Cheng (UTAH) – 6-2
3. #59 Jump/Hampton (ASU) vs. Petrovic/Rosa (UTAH) – 5-3 (Abandoned)
Order of Finish: 2,1
SINGLES
1.#97 Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Margo Pletcher (UTAH) – 6-0, 6-1
2. #48 Sammi Hampton (ASU) vs. Brianna Turley (UTAH) – 6-7(5), 5-4 (Abandoned)
3. #70 Kelley Anderson (ASU) vs. Alexia Petrovic (UTAH) – 2-6, 6-4, 0-1 (Abandoned)
4. Nicole Fossa-Huergo (ASU) def. Jena Cheng (UTAH) – 7-5, 6-2
5. Savannah Slaysman (ASU) vs. Taylor Calton (UTAH) – 4-6, 7-5, 2-1 (Abandoned)
6. Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) def. Whitney Turley (UTAH) – 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 1,6,4
The match was the first conference meeting for both squads, with ASU (6-3, 1-0) starting off on the right foot thanks to seniors Kassidy Jump and Gussie O'Sullivan, and junior Nicole Fossa-Huergo.
"I thought overall it was a well-played match for us," said head coach Sheila McInerney. "Last year we played them up in Utah, and it was a really tough match like this one. We won the doubles point and it was nice for Kassidy to get a win. She had a tough couple opponents last weekend against (Luisa) Stefani and (Francesca) Di Lorenzo, so it was good for her to get on and off the court quickly.
"The rest of the matches other than Gussie's were close. We expected a tough one, but I'm happy for the team."
The doubles point didn't come easy for the Devils, but junior Kelley Anderson and freshman Savannah Slaysman sure made it look so on court two. After going back and forth through the first three points and a 2-1 lead for the Utes, the duo rattled off five straight points to take the match 6-2 over Taylor Calton and Jena Cheng.
Back on court one, No. 44 Alex Osborne and Fossa-Huergo got off to a 3-1 lead early on before Utah's pair of Margo Pletcher and Brianna Turley tied it up at three-all. The Australian-Italian duo from ASU found a way as they have five other times this season, winning 6-4 to clinch the doubles point.
After playing two of the top ranked singles players in the country a weekend ago, and holding her own in the first set with both of them, Jump rolled that momentum into Friday. In what seemed like minutes not hours, No. 97 Jump handled Pletcher on court one, rolling to a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
With a 2-0 lead, O'Sullivan was taking care of business as well on court six against Whitney Turley. 'The Grinder' won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, for the 3-0 lead and putting ASU on the brink of clinching the match.
In the meantime, No. 70 Anderson and Slaysman were grinding it out in their own respective matches on court three and five. After both of them lost their first sets, the two fought back to force third sets and avoiding sweeps.
In her second set against Alexia Petrovic, Anderson rallied from down 3-4 to win three-straight games to win 6-4 and force her third set – which eventually went abandoned.
The rookie on court five was also in a hole in her second frame, trailing Calton 4-5 with her back up against the wall. Slaysman rattled off three-straight as well to win 7-5 and force the third – which also went abandoned.
Their two matches went abandoned due to Fossa-Huergo's match-clinching sweep on court four over Cheng. Their two sets saw eight lead changes, including Fossa-Huergo rallying from down 4-5 in the first set to win 7-5. She then won four-straight games from a 2-2 tie in the second to win 6-2 and clinch the match.
The Devils return to Whiteman on Saturday at noon to host Colorado (8-4, 0-1), who lost 4-0 to the University of Arizona on Friday afternoon in Tucson.
#40 Arizona State – 4, Utah – 0
Whiteman Tennis Center
Friday, March 10
Doubles
1.#44 Osborne/Fossa-Huergo (ASU) def. Pletcher/B. Turley (UTAH) – 6-4
2. Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) def. Calton/Cheng (UTAH) – 6-2
3. #59 Jump/Hampton (ASU) vs. Petrovic/Rosa (UTAH) – 5-3 (Abandoned)
Order of Finish: 2,1
SINGLES
1.#97 Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Margo Pletcher (UTAH) – 6-0, 6-1
2. #48 Sammi Hampton (ASU) vs. Brianna Turley (UTAH) – 6-7(5), 5-4 (Abandoned)
3. #70 Kelley Anderson (ASU) vs. Alexia Petrovic (UTAH) – 2-6, 6-4, 0-1 (Abandoned)
4. Nicole Fossa-Huergo (ASU) def. Jena Cheng (UTAH) – 7-5, 6-2
5. Savannah Slaysman (ASU) vs. Taylor Calton (UTAH) – 4-6, 7-5, 2-1 (Abandoned)
6. Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) def. Whitney Turley (UTAH) – 6-1, 6-3
Order of Finish: 1,6,4