MORAGA, Calif. – It was a beautiful day for tennis in Moraga Saturday afternoon as the Gaels snapped their three-match losing streak with an assertive 5-2 performance over the Pacific Tigers.
 
ON A ROLL
In their past matches the Gaels have often struggled to build momentum on the double's courts, but that certainly was not the case today. 
 
Iman Khan and Stefanie Silva were the only SMC pairing to lose their doubles match, but they put up a good fight. In the end, the Tigers pairing of Tomi Main and Megan Carmichael were able to pull off the narrow 6-4 victory.
 
SMC's Olivia Rook and Tian Yu Dong were on their game in the #3 match, as the Gaels duo gave Danielle Zamora and Alexis Sam trouble all match long as they went onto win 6-3.
 
The doubles point hinged on the #1 court, as the experienced pairing of Jordan Harris and Lene Mari Hovda took on Klara Kosan and Karina Chao. Harris and Hovda faced a difficult opponent, as the #32 ranked doubles team in the country refused to go down without a fight. The SMC duo was simply too good for the Tigers, as the Gaels were able to hold their nerve in a tiebreak to win the match 7-6 and clinch the vital doubles point with it.
 
SMASHING SINGLES
The Gaels had momentum on their side heading into the singles matches, and they certainly took advantage. SMC was able to win four of the six singles matches to clinch the overall victory as well. 
 
In the #1 match, Jordan Harris faced off against UOP's Klara Kosen. Harris played solid tennis, but Kosen was able to keep her at arm's length the entire match as she went onto to win 7-5, 7-5. 
 
Olivia Rook struggled to get into her match against Tomi Main, as the Pacific player beat SMC's Rook 6-1, 6-2. 
 
Lene Mari Hovda found her groove in her singles match as she faced off against Pacific's Karina Chao. Hovda was placing the ball wherever she wanted it, as she coasted by Chao 6-3, 6-3. 
 
A handful of the Gaels matches finished in three-set fashion, the first of which was in the #5 match. After dropping the first set 6-2, SMC's Tian Yu Dong battled back in a big way against UOP's Alexis Sam. She bounced back to win the second set 6-3, following it up with a 6-2 win in the third set to clinch the win as well. 
 
Stefanie Silva also had her work cut out for her in the #6 match, facing off against Pacific's Danielle Zamora. Silva dropped the first set 6-4, but like her teammate Dong, would bounce back in the second 6-1, and again in the third 6-2. 
 
Freshman Iman Khan has been playing some great tennis for the Gaels, and her strong play today helped clinch the overall victory for SMC. Khan faced a tricky opponent in Zoe Clydesdale-Eberle, as the two fought hard for every point. 
 
After Khan narrowly won the first set 7-5, she set off to do the exact same in the second. Clydesdale-Eberle refused to back down, and Khan dug deep to pull off the victory, clinching the match with an intense 7-6 second set. 
 
Saint Mary's (6-9) def. Pacific Tigers (6-8) 
April 8, 2023 in Moraga, Calif. 
Korth Tennis Courts
 
Doubles
 

1. Jordan Harris/Lene Mari Hovda (SMC) def. #32 Klara Kosan/Karina Chao (UOP), 7-6 (2) *
2. Tomi Main/Megan Carmichael (UOP) def. Iman Khan/Stefanie Silva (SMC), 6-4
3. Olivia Rook/Tian Yu Dong (SMC) def. Danielle Zamora/Alexis Sam (UOP), 6-3

 
Order of Finish – 3, 2, 1 *
 
Singles 
 

1. Klara Kosan (UOP) def. Jordan Harris (SMC), 7-5, 7-5
2. Lene Mari Hovda (SMC) def. Karina Chao (UOP), 6-3, 6-3
3. Tomi Main (UOP) def. Olivia Rook (SMC), 6-1, 6-2 ^
4. Iman Khan (SMC) def. Zoe Clydesdale-Eberle (UOP), 7-5, 7-6 (7)
5. Tian Yu Dong (SMC) def. Alexis Sam (UOP), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
6. Stefanie Silva (SMC) def. Danielle Zamora (UOP), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2  

 
Order of Finish – 3, 2, 1, 5, 4 ^, 6
 
^ Clinched overall win
 
NEXT UP
The Gaels will be back action this upcoming weekend as they'll head to the northwest to take on Portland on Friday April 14 before facing Gonzaga on Saturday April 15.