BERKELEY - Cal women's tennis came away with a split against the Los Angeles schools when the 21st-ranked Golden Bears defeated No. 37 USC, 6-1, on a cold Saturday at the Hellman Tennis Complex. Jessica Zeynel clinched for the Bears, topping Estella Jaeger, 6-3, 6-4.

Cal's record - including a 4-3 loss to No. 2 UCLA on Friday in Berkeley - stands at 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12 Conference. USC is 7-6 (0-2 Pac-12).

"I'm really pleased to see us play well on back-to-back days," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "We've started conference play, and every match is really important. Playing at home, I wanted to see us come out strong in doubles, and we did two days in a row. We carried that momentum today into the singles, and we battled hard. We won all the first sets today, and we did a good job of closing out matches today, which is important."
 
The Bears took a 1-0 lead into singles after capturing the doubles point, with the pair of Zeynel and Anna Bright beating Jaeger and Danielle Willson, 6-4, to secure the point. Cal freshman Haley Giavara and Valentina Ivanov also knocked off the 16th-ranked Eryn Cayetano and Angela Kulikov, 6-2, on court one.
 
In singles, the Bears won their first three matches in straight sets – with the 34th-ranked Ivanov topping Willson, 6-3, 6-4, Bright besting Anna Neffa, 6-4, 6-4, and Zeynel clinching on court six – to take a 4-0 lead and secure the overall win.
 
The teams completed the remaining matches, with Cal freshman Erin Richardson defeating Constance Branstine, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3, the 57th-ranked Julia Rosenqvist holding off the Trojans' 44th-ranked Cayetano, 7-6(7), 5-7, 1-0(9), and USC getting its only singles win of the day when the 27th-ranked Kulikov beat the 15th-ranked Giavara, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, on court one.
 
Rain forced the match to be delayed from its original 12 p.m. start to 3 p.m.
 
Cal continues its homestand and Pac-12 play when its hosts Oregon on March 14 at Hellman.

No. 21 California (3-4, 1-1 Pac-12) defeated No. 37 USC (7-6, 0-2 Pac-12), 6-1
March 7, 2020, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
 
Doubles
1. Haley Giavara/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. No. 16 Eryn Cayetano/Angela Kulikov (USC), 6-2
2. Con. Branstine/Ana Neffa (USC) def. Jasie Dunk/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal), 6-1
3. Anna Bright/Jessica Zeynel (Cal) def. Estella Jaeger/Danielle Willson (USC), 6-4*
 
Order of Finish – 2, 1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 27 Angela Kulikov (USC) def. No. 15 Haley Giavara (Cal), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. No. 57 Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. No. 44 Eryn Cayetano (USC), 7-6(7), 5-7, 1-0(9)
3. No. 34 Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Danielle Willson (USC), 6-3, 6-4
4. Anna Bright (Cal) def. Ana Neffa (USC), 6-4, 6-4
5. Erin Richardson (Cal) def. Con. Branstine (USC), 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3
6. Jessica Zeynel (Cal) def. Estella Jaeger (USC), 6-3, 6-4^
 
Order of Finish – 3, 4, 6^, 5, 2, 1
^Clinched the overall match