LOS ANGELES -- Ninth-ranked Southern California left little doubt in Saturday's clash against No. 4 California, taking out its Pac-12 foe with a strong 6-1 victory at Marks Stadium. Now 7-2 overall, the Women of Troy have a big win in the books as they continue along in 2014 action. Today's victory against the Golden Bears came with the Trojans snagging a tight doubles point and then rattling off four straight-set singles wins in a row to bring home the win. Freshman Zoë Katz showed no fear against her ranked opponent in coming through with the clincher on her 6-0 6-4 victory against Cal's No. 84 Klara Fabikova.
On court one in doubles, USC's defending NCAA champs Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria were in winning form for an 8-2 victory at the top. The Golden Bears answered back with an 8-6 win against USC's No. 4 Olmos/Scandalis to even the score, cranking up the tension on court three. The decider would come down to a tiebreaker there, with USC's No. 8 pair of Brynn Boren and Zoë Katz pulling of the clutch win with a 9-8 (2) decision against Cal's Chi/Duranteau to notch a big 1-0 lead for the host Trojans.
That edge was an important momentum boost for the Women of Troy. At the No. 4 spot, No. 50 Zoë Scandalis rebounded from that doubles defeat and was all business in her singles clash with No. 15 Denise Starr. Scandalis drummed up a 2-0 lead for the Trojans with her swift 6-1, 6-1 decision. Fellow junior No. 26 Sabrina Santamaria delivered a 6-2, 6-1 win against Cal's No. 37 Annet Schutting on court one next, and USC was up 3-0 on the No. 4 Bears. Freshman Zoë Katz came out with guns blazing against No. 84 Klara Fabikova at the No. 5 spot. Katz shut out her Golden Bear foe in the first set and would roll on to a 6-0, 6-4 victory that got USC ahead 4-0 for the clincher. On court four, junior No. 99 Giuliana Olmos followed her doubles partner Scandalis to end the day on a win with her 6-3, 7-5 upset of No. 66 Lynn Chi, and USC was holding a 5-0 lead on the Bears. Cal's only point of the day would come on court two, where No. 16 Zsofi Susanyi was able to fend off USC's No. 118 Brynn Boren with a 6-3, 6-2 decision that made it 5-1. The Women of Troy would be sure to have the last word, however, with No. 123 Gabriella DeSimone finishing off one last upset with her 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (6) victory against Cal's No. 59 Maegan Manasse on court six to wrap the 6-1 win for USC.
