Oct. 24, 2011

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SAN DIEGO, CALIF. -- USC's Sabrina Santamaria won her sixth consecutive straight-set singles match in claiming the 2011 ITA Women's Southwest Regional Championship this morning in San Diego. The Trojan freshman was up against her own freshman teammate, Zoë Scandalis, in today's title match, but Santamaria was able to keep her win streak intact in working out a 6-2, 6-1 win over Scandalis. Santamaria's victory makes it four straight seasons that the Trojans have claimed the ITA regional singles crown.

Santamaria was unseeded entering the tourney, and served up surprises for four top-10 seeds during her run to the title. Scandalis was one of those seeded opponents, sitting as No. 10 and with a pair of victories over seeded opponents during her course to the final. One of those wins came in another all-Trojan battle, as Scandalis and defending champ, top-seeded teammate Danielle Lao, squared off in the quarterfinals. Both Scandalis and Santamaria pinned up solid wins in their respective semifinal matches yesterday, but it was Santamaria whose straight-set momentum gave her the lift in today's championship bout.

It was the third all-Trojan singles final in the past four regionals, as the Women of Troy have claimed the regional singles crown for four straight seasons now. Maria Sanchez won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009 (beating teammate Alison Ramos in 2008); Danielle Lao won in 2010 (beating Sanchez); and now Sabrina Santamaria has claimed the 2011 title. USC missed out on the singles title in 2007, but got another championship from Sarah Fansler in 2006 and also a title from Amanda Fink in 2005 to make it six Trojan championships in the past seven seasons.

Complete USC results are below:

ITA WOMEN'S SOUTHWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (San Diego, Calif.)

SINGLES
First Round -- Oct. 20
[1] Danielle Lao (USC) -- bye
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) -- bye
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Jennifer Sher (CSUN) -- 6-4, 6-3
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) -- bye
[5] Kaitlyn Christian (USC) -- bye
[13] Alison Ramos (USC) -- bye

Round of 64 -- Oct. 20
[1] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Miya Jin (LMU) -- 6-1, 6-0
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. Laura Antonana (SDSU) -- 6-0, 6-2
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Hailey Johnson (ARIZ) -- 6-2, 6-1
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Idil Haciafoglu (USD) -- 6-4, 6-1
[5] Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Natalie McKay (UCR) -- 6-0, 6-0
[13] Alison Ramos (USC) def. Martina Kostalova (UH) -- 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Round of 32 -- Oct. 21
[1] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Hannah James (ASU) -- 6-2, 6-1
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. Laura Bernard (LBSU) -- 6-2, 6-3
[11] Anais Dallara (LBSU) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) -- 6-0, 6-3
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. [9] Michelle Brycki (ASU) -- 6-1, 6-3
Alejandra Granillo (PEP) def. [5] Kaitlyn Christian (USC) -- 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-2
Natalia Lozano (UCSB) def. Alison Ramos (USC) 6-3, 6-3

Round of 16 -- Oct. 21
[1] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Skylar Morton (UCLA) -- 6-2, 6-1
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. Issara Khunpak (PEP) -- 6-0, 6-0
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Alejandra Granillo (PEP) -- 6-1, 7-5

Quarterfinals -- Oct. 22
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. [1] Danielle Lao (USC) -- 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. [2] McCall Jones (UCLA) -- 6-1, 7-5

Semifinals -- Oct. 23
[10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. [11] Anais Dallara (LBSU) -- 6-1, 7-5
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. [8] Natasha Marks (ARIZ) -- 6-3, 7-6

Championship -- Oct. 24
Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. [10] Zoe Scandalis (USC) -- 6-2, 6-1

DOUBLES
Round of 64 -- Oct. 20
[12] DeSimone/Lao (USC) -- bye
[9] Ramos/Scandalis (USC) -- bye
[2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) -- bye

Round of 32 -- Oct. 21
Cantlay/Luzar (LBSU) def. [12] DeSimone/Lao (USC) -- 9-7
[9] Ramos/Scandalis (USC) def. Meehan/Scatliffe (UCSB) -- 8-4
[2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Dockendorf/Lozano (UCSB) -- 8-3

Round of 16 -- Oct. 22
[3] Coupez/Hoffpauir (USD) def. [9] Ramos/Scandalis (USC) -- w/o (inj)
[2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Sahagun/Simmons (ASU) -- 8-1

Quarterfinals -- Oct. 23
[2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Man-Son-Hing/Sher (CSUN) -- 8-6

Semifinals -- Oct. 24
[2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. [3] Coupez/Hoffpauir (USD) -- 8-4

Championship -- Oct. 24
[10] Anderson/Morton (UCLA) def. [2] Christian/Santamaria (USC) -- 8-4