The University of Houston Cougars came to Tucson and jumped all over the Arizona women’s tennis team right from the start, as the Wildcat’s were handed their first loss of the season losing 6-1 on Sunday, Feb. 11.
Reigning Pac-12 player of the week Talya Zandberg was moved up to the third slot for the Wildcats as junior Camila Wesbrooks moved a spot back to fourth. Wesbrooks was the one that benefited from the move as she grabbed the sole win of the day, winning 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
“Well I think we are taking some steps forward, and then take a few steps back,” said Arizona women’s head coach Vicky Maes. “You’re not gonna get a whole lot better or build a whole lot of confidence if you’re sort of always chasing the things you do well the next time they come around. I think we came out pretty flat today. We completed, but we are just holding back.”
The top of the rotation for Arizona failed to finish the weekend strong as Devin Chypyha, Mary Lewis and Zandberg dropped their singles points. For an early season that has been filled with a mix of youthful exuberance and veteran instincts, the Wildcats looked like a team that was experiencing growing pains facing its first real test of the season.
“We’re young, and that will come over time,” Maes said. “I certainly think our girls are bringing heart, and are trying to do the right things. It’s just those big moments where we need to be more mature. We need to compete harder, and we need to close out on some of those moments.”
The Wildcats early season record could be attributed to the fact that they have played all seven of their matches in the friendly confines of Tucson. Arizona continues to search for its identity and potential as a team, so early season roadblocks must be overcome if they are going to be found.
“We’ve got two really, really tough road trips ahead of us, and if we let this loss affect us too much then we will be in trouble,” Maes said. “I think if we can take the good things out of this weekend into Vegas, then I think we can turn the page.”
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