KAILUH, Hawai’i — CSUN Women’s Tennis opened the spring dual season with a 4-1 victory over Hawai’i Pacific on the road Friday afternoon at PLNU Tennis Courts. Playing in its first official dual of the spring season, CSUN posted a win in doubles competition by winning two out of the three contests. The doubles duo of Yulia Zhytelna […]
KAILUH, Hawai’i — CSUN Women’s Tennis opened the spring dual season with a 4-1 victory over Hawai’i Pacific on the road Friday afternoon at PLNU Tennis Courts.
Playing in its first official dual of the spring season, CSUN posted a win in doubles competition by winning two out of the three contests. The doubles duo of Yulia Zhytelna and Angela Ho won the first battle of the day by blanking Jayanne Palma and Evi Roobol of HPU 6-0. CSUN would clinch the doubles point as Emma Moratella Sanz and Nicole West outlasted Sayda Hernandez Rosa Viller Moller by a score of 6-1. As CSUN earned the doubles point, the duo of Victoria Santibanez Luna and Madison Shepperson was leading Emily Castillo and Annika Hakovirta 4-3 before the match retired.
In singles action, the first match of the day resulted in a win for the Sharks. Hakovirta defeated West via opponent retirement, therefore resulting in the score being tied at one apiece.
The next match to finish resulted in another win for the Matadors as Santibanez Luna defeated Hernandez in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. The redshirt senior from Mexico shared her thought on today’s play.
“It was a strong first match to kick off the season and prepare us mentally and physically for tomorrow’s match against Hawai’i,” she said. “The weather played a huge factor on our performance and I think everyone handled it really well. On top of that, the team brought great energy across all courts, setting the tone for tomorrow.”
Santibanez Luna’s win put CSUN on top 2-1.
The next battle that concluded was another victory for CSUN. In #1 singles, Zhytelna bested Roobol 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), earning the third point. The redshirt senior went through Friday’s action without losing a set in either doubles or singles.
The Matadors would earn the fourth and clinching point in the dual when Ho defeated Palma, 6-1, 7-5. Like Zhytelna, the junior from San Francisco finished the day without dropping a set.
In the unfinished matches, Moratella Sanz went 6-3, 1-6, 2-1 against Castillo, and Sydney Wilson led Viller Moller 7-5, 4-3.
NOTES OF THE MATCH
- CSUN has now won its opening dual the last two seasons.
- CSUN is now 3-1 all-time against Hawai’i Pacific, dating back to its first dual in 1987.
- Zhytelna has yet to lose a set to kick off the 2025 spring campaign.
UP NEXT
A quick turnaround for the Matadors as CSUN kicks off Big West play against the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. in Manoa, HI.
