Cal ends Tech's season in NCAA second round

Staff Reports
·2 min read
Members of the Texas Tech women's tennis team huddle up during an NCAA tournament second-round match Saturday against No. 11 California in Berkeley, California. The Golden Bears won 4-0 to advance to a super regional.
Members of the Texas Tech women's tennis team huddle up during an NCAA tournament second-round match Saturday against No. 11 California in Berkeley, California. The Golden Bears won 4-0 to advance to a super regional.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Julia Rosenqvist downed Avelina Sayfetdinova in straight sets, wrapping up a 4-0 victory for No. 11 California over Texas Tech in Saturday's second round of the women's tennis NCAA tournament.

Cal (18-7) advances to a super regional against the winner of a Sunday match between No. 6 North Carolina State (24-5) and Tennessee (16-9), who are playing in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Tech ends the season 15-11.

Cal won the best-of-three doubles point, then took a 2-0 lead when Haley Giavara beat Margarita Skriabina 6-2, 6-0 in No. 1 singles. Cal's Jessica Alsola won by the same score over Olivia Peet on the No. 2 court.

Rosenqvist then subdued Sayfetdinova 6-2, 6-4 on the No. 3 court.

Men's basketball

Texas Tech on Saturday announced that Fardaws Aimaq, the 2021 Western Athletic Conference player of the year, has signed a financial aid agreement that clears the way for him to join the Red Raiders as a transfer.

Aimaq, a 6-foot-11 center, played the past two seasons at Utah Valley State, where he was a two-time first-team all-WAC honoree and the WAC defensive player of the year both seasons.

He averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game this past season, when Utah Valley finished 20-12. He averaged 13.9 points and a nation-leading 15.0 rebounds in 2020-21, when the Wolverines went 11-11.

The 15-rebounds average was the highest in major-college basketball in more than 40 years, according to Tech research.

Aimaq has two seasons of eligibility left. He also is going through the NBA pre-draft process, so there's no assurance he plays for the Red Raiders. He told ESPN last week he is split on whether to continue playing in college or keep himself in consideration for the draft, which is June 23.

A Tech athletics spokesman said Tech will seek a waiver on Aimaq's behalf that would allow him to play for the Red Raiders next season. He started his college career at Mercer, averaging 5.0 points and 5.3 rebounds as a freshman in 2018-19.

Aimaq played high-school ball at Steveston-London Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Tech sports roundup: Cal ends Red Raiders' season in NCAA second round