Replacing a franchise player, such as Alina Wygonowska, for the Oregon women’s tennis team can be a difficult thing. The Gydnia, Poland, native was the Ducks’ ace during her four years at Oregon before graduating last spring.
Fortunately for the Ducks, two blue-chip recruits have landed in Eugene and are making an immediate impact.
Courtney Nagle and Davina Mendiburu have given the Ducks a big boost this season, which was evident in Sunday’s 6-1 win over visiting Portland. Both freshmen picked up wins to highlight the Oregon efforts.
Nagle swept the Pilots’ Lisa Bessman, 6-0 and 6-0, for her seventh win of the season in addition to an 8-2 doubles win along with sophomore Monika Geiczys.
“Courtney had a great day,” head coach Jack Griffin said. “She showed today she has the potential to play high level tennis and dominate the court.”
Mendiburu picked up her fourth straight win with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Samantha Kluger. The Menton, France, native also teamed with junior Janice Nyland for an 8-3 doubles win over Courtney Perkins and Erin Smith.
Nagle and Mendiburu are a combined 11-2 in singles play.
Junior Valerie Young made a successful debut this season in defeating Portland’s Jana Jusupovic, 6-2, 7-6.
Arnaud and Nyland also picked up two-set singles wins.
“We covered the basics well and did the right things,” Griffin said. “We didn’t make a lot of mistakes and played to win.”
Arnaud and junior Vickie Gunnarson capped doubles play with an 8-6 win over Kluger and Smith.
The men’s team also has a strong corps of freshmen. Oregon has five first-year players (62 percent of the Duck roster) who play significant roles in doubles and singles play.
The freshmen “are doing OK,” men’s coach Chris Russell said. “They’re progressing, but they’re also experiencing some growing pains.”
Unfortunately, Oregon’s freshmen went 0-6 this weekend in two losses against Boise State and Northwestern.
“They’ve got to be responding quickly for us to be successful,” Russell said. “Which is a big challenge being so new to the team.”
Two of the few veteran Ducks who will be helping the freshmen this season are sophomore Oded Teig and senior David Becker, who were Oregon’s only victors this weekend.
Teig knocked off Boise State ace Guillaume Bouvier, 7-6, 6-4, while Becker disposed of Jonny Biorkman, 6-1, 7-5.
In doubles, sophomore Jason Menke and freshman Buck Mink picked up a double win against Bouvier and Rio Kuharski, 8-3.
Those proved to be Oregon’s only wins against the No. 33 Bronco’s as the Ducks fell by a score of 5-2.
On Sunday, the Ducks were shut out by No. 37 Northwestern, 7-0.
“We’re having some close matches but it’s hard to see that with a 7-0 on the scoreboard,” Russell said. “But we’re going to have a lot of situations like that if we don’t get disciplined.”
Twice, Menke came within a point of defeating Northwestern’s Ryan Edlefsen. The Beaverton native fell in three sets, 1-6, 6-5, 6-5.
Both Oregon teams hit the road this weekend after a long homestand. The women face the Arizona schools while the men travel to Idaho.