The men’s and women’s squads were a combined 13-1 in conference matches
The Pepperdine men’s and women’s tennis squads are both champions of the West Coast Conference.
The Waves women’s team capped an undefeated season in the conference with a sweep of Saint Mary’s on April 20 at Pepperdine’s Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center to win the WCC regular-season crown. The men’s team defeated Pacific in Stockton to secure a share of the regular-season conference title with San Diego on April 21.
The Pepperdine women’s team, ranked eighth in national polls, defeated Saint Mary’s 7-0. Before the match, the Waves honored senior team members Anna Campana, Nikki Redelijk, Janice Tjen, and Lisa Zaar during a senior day ceremony. Then, the Waves dominated Saint Mary’s. All six of the Waves won in straight sets in singles after Campana and Zaar grabbed the doubles point with a 6-1 victory.
The Waves received their first singles point when a Saint Mary’s player retired due to an injury during the first set of competition against Tjen. Pepperdine took a 3-0 lead when freshman Vivian Yang won the first 10 games of match before her opponent notched a game en route to a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Junior Savannah Broadus won her matchup 6-0, 6-0. Campana won her match 6-3, 6-0. Redelijk jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first set of her match and went on to a 6-2 triumph. She won the next set 6-0.
Freshman Jasmine Conwy won the first set of a tight matchup 6-4. Conway was down 4-3 before stagging a comeback and winning the second set, 6-4.
The Pepperdine men’s team, ranked 43rd, beat Pacific 4-3 to clinch a share of the WCC regular-season top spot.
Waves head coach Adam Schaechterle said the victory was a special experience.
“For my own guys, I’m so proud of how they play for each other,” he said. “We started the season 1-5, and we lost one of our best players for the season, but these guys love each other and it shines through in how they compete.”
Schaechterle said Pacific played tough.
“Huge respect for how they battled, and for their success this season,” he said.
The contest began with both teams winning matches in doubles play. Then, the Waves duo of sophomore Linus Carlsson Halldin and graduate student George Davis rang up three consecutive points to break their matchup open and secure the doubles point with 7-6 (4) win by way of a forehand hit from Davis.
The squads went back and forth in singles play also. Both bunches grabbed three first sets apiece and three matches needed three sets to decide winners.
Pacific grabbed the first singles point. Waves senior Pietro Fellin then won a contentious match 6-4, 6-3 to give his team the lead again. It was Fellin’s team-leading eighth straight win.
Freshman Zach Stephens seized his fifth WCC singles win at the fifth position with a 6-4, 7-5 victory. Pacific won the next two matches.
Freshman Edward Winter then staged a comeback in the second set. He was behind 5-3 after losing the first set 4-6. However, in the ninth game, Winter tied the match at 5. The game then entered a tiebreaker, which Winter won 7-6 (4). The Wave gained a 3-0 advantage in the last set and went on to a 6-1 triumph.
The men’s team finished the regular season with a 13-10 overall record and 7-1 record in the conference. The Waves have won their six last contests — a WCC-best winning streak this year. The squad has first-round bye in the WCC Tournament at Aztec Tennis Center in San Diego. Their first match will be in the event’s semifinals on Friday at 10 a.m.
The women’s team finished the regular season with a 15-6 overall record and a 6-0 record in the WCC. The team has eight straight unbeaten seasons in the conference. The Waves didn’t surrender a single doubles point or singles match to conference opposition this season — a Waves team last did that in 2017.
Pepperdine women’s tennis has won 41 WCC titles including 12 regular-season championships. The group is the top seed in the WCC Tournament in San Diego.
The Waves have a first-round bye and will begin play in the semifinals on Friday at 1:30 p.m.
Pepperdine men’s tennis won a share of the WCC title with a 4-3 win over Pacific on April 21. Photo Couresty of Pepperdine Athletics.
Pepperdine women’s team is shown on Senior Day. The Waves went undefeated in conference play for the eighth straight year in 2024. Photo by Morgan Davenport.