DALLAS — The 23rd-ranked California women's tennis team rebounded from a 2-1 deficit to defeat host and 30th-ranked SMU 4-2 on Friday in the regular-season finale at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex. Cal sophomore Sophie Hernandez won a three-setter to claim the second clinching victory of her career.
 
The short-handed Golden Bears improved their record to 11-6 (8-4 ACC). The Mustangs have a 14-6 record (6-5).
 
Cal is still without the services of Johanne Svendsen, who is competing with Denmark in Billie Jean King Cup matches in Portugal. The freshman is ranked 30th in singles and normally plays on Court 1 for the Bears in both singles and doubles, in which she and Mao Mushika are ranked 59th.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. Berta Passola Folch and Naomi Xu — who had not partnered in doubles since January — defeated SMU's Ellie Mireles and Addison Comiskey 6-3 on Court 2 to open the match. A loss on Court 1 left Court 3 — where Hernandez paired with freshman Mille Johanna Moerk for the first time — to settle the point. The Cal duo did not disappoint, with Hernandez and Moerk edging Natalie Stasny and Sophie Llewellyn 7-6(3).
 
The Mustangs posted the first two wins in singles to take a 2-1 lead, before 120th-ranked Xu won in straight sets over Mireles 7-5, 6-2 on Court 4 to tie the match 2-2. Mushika — ranked 89th — followed with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over 80th-ranked Llewellyn on Court 2 to give Cal a 3-2 lead.
 
Hernandez then defeated Stasny 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 to secure Cal's win. This marks her first clinching win since she wrapped up a 4-3 victory at Stanford last season.
 
The Bears compete in the ACC Championship next week in Cary, North Carolina, with the conference tournament's first round scheduled to take place Tuesday. The date of Cal's first match is dependent on its seeding, which will be decided after the remaining ACC matches are played this weekend. As of Friday evening, Cal is tied with Miami for fifth place in the conference standings.
 
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