February 20, 2024

WTEN is Tested Against CMS & APU

The Westcliff women's tennis team faced off against some tough opponents over the weekend.

First, they took on the Claremont Mudd-Scripps who are the No. 1 Division III school. The match didn't go the Warriors' way as they fell 5-2 and their record dropped to (1-3).

Assistant Coach Michael Longanecker shared his thoughts on the match and how it played out: "The match against CMS was very competitive starting right out of the gate with the doubles. This is the No. 1 team in the nation in DIII and they won NCAAs last year, so we knew we would be in for a tough match."

The Warriors started well by securing the doubles point as their No. 1 and 2 teams won their matches.

"We were very happy to lock in that doubles point," Longanecker said. "Their singles were just too strong in the end, but it gave us a strong benchmark for where we need to be when we are going to NAIA nationals."

At the end of the day, that's the motivation and goal for the Warriors. Securing their back-to-back championships in the GSAC tournament and going even further than last year at nationals.

Then on Saturday, Westcliff went up against Azusa Pacific University but also lost with a final score of 4-2.

"The APU match was another tough match," Longanecker said. "This was the last of our preseason matches before we started conference play so we knew this would be another tough test for us.

"Even though we came a little short in the singles, it showed us the benefits of playing challenging teams leading up to this week."

With a couple of days left leading up to their first conference match against Menlo College, the Warriors will try to make the most of what they learned in the last couple of weeks.

"I look forward to seeing our players rise to the occasion," Longanecker said. "We have been working very hard and playing a challenging preseason to prepare for this week. Seeing it all come together and watching their levels rise is exciting."

Doubles No. 1 Elena Gunfaus Sola and Anna Ruiz Masip have been consistent as always during this preseason and will spearhead the team moving forward.

"⁠Elena Gunfaus and Anna Ruiz have stood out in the doubles," Longanecker said. "I think Elena's singles level has gone up since the first match also.

"Same with Emilse Ruiz. She is a sophomore returner who struggled at the start of this season but is starting to find her form as we enter conference play."

Results vs CMS:

Singles competition
1. Elena Gunfaus lost 6-4, 6-2
2. Hana Moss lost 6-4, 0-6, 4-6
3. Emilse Ruiz lost 4-6, 3-6
4. Kanon Sorakubo won 7-6, 6-1
5. Alessia Radu lost 4-6, 2-6
6. Lois Tsui lost 3-6, 0-6

Doubles competition
1. Anna Ruiz/Elena Gunfaus won 7-5
2. Emilse Ruiz/Kanon Sorakubo won 6-4
3. Lois Tsui/Hana Moss lost 2-6

Results vs APU:

Singles competition
1. Anna Ruiz lost 1-6, 5-7
2. Elena Gunfaus 7-5, 2-6, 2-1 unf.
3. Kanon Sorakubo lost 4-6, 6-3, 3-6
4. Emilse Ruiz won 6-3, 6-0
5. Alessia Radu won 6-3, 6-2
6. Justina Haver lost 2-6, 2-6

Doubles competition
1. Anna Ruiz/Elena Gunfaus won 6-4
2. Emilse Ruiz/Kanon Sorakubo lost 3-6
3. Lois Tsui/Hana Moss lost 4-6