Freshman Sem Verbeek of Pacific and junior Morgan McIntosh of Cal State Fullerton were selected Big West Men's and Women's Tennis Athletes of the Week after going undefeated in singles.
Verbeek Clinches Match Against San Francisco
Pacific freshman Sem Verbeek (Amsterdam, Netherlands/Pendleton School) won the clinching match at No. 4 singles against non-conference foe San Francisco to earn his first career Big West Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week honor.
Verbeek found himself in a battle with San Francisco's Nils Skajaa at No. 4 singles with the match tied 3-3 and the outcome up for grabs. After losing the first set, Verbeek won the second set in a tiebreaker and stormed back with a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory to give the Tigers the 4-3 triumph.
The Tigers also got off to a great start in Big West play as they toppled rival UC Davis by a 5-2 score. Verbeek played an instrumental role in that match as well with his 6-4, 6-1 win over Brett Bacharach at No. 4 singles. At No. 3 doubles with partner Daniel Alameh, the Tiger duo defeated Bacharach and George Horowitz, 8-2, despite Pacific dropping the doubles point.
Verbeek now owns a 3-1 record in singles and is 2-2 in doubles in the early going of his collegiate career.
Others nominated: Axel Bouillin (UC Santa Barbara)
McIntosh Perfect in Singles and Doubles for Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton junior Morgan McIntosh (Rancho Mirage, Calif./Palm Desert HS) won a pair of singles and doubles matches to claim Big West Women's Tennis Athlete of the Week accolades.
She secured one of her team's two points in a 5-2 loss to San Jose State Tuesday, picking up a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles against Margot Charron. She also partnered with Kalika Slevcove to down the Spartan pairing of Charron and Amber Walker, 8-5, at No. 2 doubles.
On Sunday, the Titans notched their first win of the season with a 6-1 triumph against UMKC. McIntosh won her battle against Eva Dalvai, 6-0, 7-6 (4) in singles and was victorious again in doubles with Slevcove, dispatching Dalvai and Madeline Schulte by an 8-1 score.
McIntosh is now 2-2 in both singles and doubles on the year.
Others nominated: Kristina Smith (UC Irvine); Katarina Poljakova (Hawai’i); Iveta Masarova (Pacific)