Posted with permission, article and pictures, from Hawaii Pacific University
SURPRISE, Ariz. – The No. 13 Hawai’i Pacific University women shutout neighbor-island rival Hawai’i Hilo 4-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2022 PacWest Conference Championships at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.
The 13th ranked Sharks (14-7) needed just an hour and 25 minutes to advance against the Vulcans (6-9).
The Sharks took the top two positions to claim the doubles point. HPU’s 10th ranked Shaline Pipa and Marleen Tilgner dispatched Julia Barden and Nanami Okamoto 6-1 at No. 1, just before Elodie Busson and Mihoki Miyahara defeated Casydee DeMattos and Hannah Highsmith 6-2. Valentina Mokrova and Marta Ruszczynska trailed Hikari Osaki and Akari Ichikawa 4-3 when the point was won.
The Sharks were up on all courts when the HPU top three rolled to the victory. Busson started it off at No. 2 with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Sandra Dafincescu, then seventh ranked Pipa dispatched Carolina Alfonsin 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1. The match was settled at No. 3 where 23rd ranked Tilgner defeated Barden 6-0, 6-1 for the fourth and final point.
In the unfinished positions, Ruszczynska led Highsmith 6-4, 2-0 at No. 6. The other two spots had just completed the first set when called with Miyahara up on Osaki 6-3 at No. 4, and Mokrova up 6-2 on Okamoto at No. 5.
The Sharks, the number one seed in the tournament, advance to the PacWest Conference semifinals to face fifth seeded Fresno Pacific who beat fourth seeded Point Loma 4-1 in the other quarterfinal. The match is set for 10 a.m. HST (1 p.m. MST) on Friday at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex.
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