The Cal Poly Women’s Tennis regular season has ended, and the team’s focus now shifts to the Big West Conference Championship.
Cal Poly will enter the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the tournament after posting a 10-8-1 regular-season record and a 5-3-1 record in Big West play.
In Cal Poly’s last match of the regular season, they initially lost 4-3 to UC Santa Barbara.
However, as of Tuesday, the Big West rules committee came together after a protest was filed and deemed the Gauchos violated ITA and Big West rules.
The Mustangs were awarded a 3-3 tie and moved up the standings seeded at No. 5, and will now face off against No. 4 seeded Long Beach State on Thursday.
The Dunkle Sisters
The Dunkle sister doubles duo is one of the strongest teams in the Big West. Senior Delanie Dunkle and younger sister and junior Peyton Dunkle have a 13-3 record and are playing at the top line for the Mustangs this season.
During the season, Cal Poly has made the overall doubles point 14 times this year.
After an early injury to graduate student Melissa LaMette, Peyton Dunkle was thrust into the No. 2 spot in singles for Cal Poly.
The younger Dunkle sister has a 9-6 record in singles.
Junior transfer Romane Mosse has had a dominant first year with the Mustangs after transferring from Jacksonville State. Mosse is now 15-4 playing at the No. 3-6 lines and is currently riding a 12-match win streak.
Sophomore Kennedy Buntrock is another emerging star for Cal Poly, posting an 11-6 singles record and playing at the No. 3-6 lines.
After a mid-season pairing switch-up, Buntrock and junior Eliza Bates teamed up to play doubles together. The new duo has clicked instantly, winning seven wins in their last nine matches.
Sophomore Alexandra Ozerets, who was awarded the Big West Freshman of the Year last season, rounds out the six singles players.
In her second season with Cal Poly, Ozerets has primarily played at the No. 4-5 lines but also has four wins at lines No. 2-3. Overall, she has a 12-7 record to her name.
Looking Beyond The Numbers
In all three conference losses, the decision has always come to the final match, with the Mustangs on the bitter losing end of a 4-3 overall score.
The Mustangs have been consistent Big West contenders as they have reached the championship match in the last three seasons but have fallen short.
With leadership at the top from head coach Ellie Eldes Williams and veterans Delanie Dunkle and Melissa LaMette, Cal Poly has the ability to make some noise.
It all starts on Thursday, April 25 when they travel to the Big West Tournament in San Diego to take on No. 4-seeded Long Beach State at 9 a.m. at the Barnes Tennis Center.