April 26, 2008

INDIAN WELLS--No. 39-ranked Long Beach State (18-6) fought off 96-degree desert heat to reach their eighth-straight Big West Tournament Final, after defeating fifth-seeded UC Santa Barbara (10-14) 4-0 on Saturday morning. The top seed will play No. 57-ranked UC Irvine for the right to play in their sixth NCAA Tournament in seven seasons starting on Sunday at 9 a.m.

The 49ers for the second straight day took the doubles point at No. 2 and No. 3 as the duo of Stephanie Jeanes and Jessica Weeks won 8-1, while Lisa Sutton and Deborah Armstrong won for the 15th time in their last 17, winning 8-4 to improve to 18-4.

No. 5 player Jessica Weeks rolled to the first singles win, 6-2, 6-0, followed by No. 91-ranked Hannah Grady, who won 6-4, 6-2 and is now 26-9 on the season, two wins shy of the single-season record. Freshman Lisa Sutton clinched the match with a win at the No. 5 position, defeating Brittany Kausen 7-5, 6-4.

LBSU has reached the NCAA Tournament in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007

DOUBLES (LBSU won 2 for 1 point)
2. Jeanes/Weeks, LBSU def. Damion/Onaga, UCSB 8-1
3. Armstrong/Sutton, LBSU def. Hausman/Kausen, UCSB 8-4

SINGLES (LBSU won 3 for 3 points)
1. Hannah Grady, LBSU def. Marta Simic, UCSB 6-4, 6-2
5. Jessica Weeks, LBSU def. Charlotte Scatliffe, UCSB 6-2, 6-0
6. Lisa Sutton, LBSU def. Brittany Kausen, UCSB 7-5, 6-4