SAN DIEGO– A dominant start from the Point Loma Sea Lions (6-3) turned into a bounce-back win over the Cal State LA Golden Eagles (1-4) 7-0 Friday afternoon on the Point Loma Tennis Courts. 

The Sea Lions brought the heat early, with quick 6-2 wins on courts 2 and 3 to secure the doubles point. Rachel Whittington energetic season debut on court 1 was left unfinished with her and Arianna Audelo up 5-2 against the Eagles. That's because Angelique Friedrich and Samantha Neilson quickly wrapped up their pairing and Amanda Letzring and Faith Pearson sealed the team point on court 3.

That momentum turned into all seven Sea Lions excelling in singles play as they dauntlessly navigated the windy conditions. Amanda Letzring snagged a quick 2 set victory on court 5, conquering her Cal State LA's opponent 6-1 and 6-2.
 
Shortly after, Faith Pearson won both sets 6-2 accruing her third singles win of the 2022-23 season.
 
Angelique Friedrich added a fourth point for PLNU, securing the team match, as she rallied to the finish 6-3 and 6-4 against the Eagles.

The philosophy of the Sea Lions was on display regarding positive attitudes and holding a short term mindset despite the circumstances.
 
Arianna Audelo dropped her first set 1-6 before coming back to bouncing back with 6-1 wins in the second and third sets.

"Forget about past negative points," Audelo reflected upon the difference. "I tried to celebrate the small victories and bounce back quickly."

Thelma Sepulveda added a straight sets victory to the team score, winning 6-3, 6-4.
 
Sami Neilson was the final match going after a 6-4 win in the first set, she saw the match tied up in the second set, but responded with a 6-1 to give the Sea Lions the clean sweep. 
 
PLNU utilized strategies based on the whipping wind hurdling off of the Pacific Ocean, taking control of the match when the conditions favored the Sea Lions. 
 
But Point Loma Head Coach Curt Wheeler was impressed by the overall poise of the team crediting each player for adapting on both sides of the court. 

"We had patience and discipline," Wheeler said. "They choose the right ball to be aggressive with the wind."
 
The men's and women's tennis teams head to La Mirada Saturday to face the ranked Biola Eagles. The Men start at 11:00am and the Women will follow at 2:00pm.