LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's tennis team took the doubles point in convincing fashion but it wasn't enough as the Tritons fell by a 4-1 score to visiting UC Davis on Saturday afternoon at Northview Tennis Courts. The match marked the conclusion of UC San Diego's first Division I season. The Aggies will play Sunday at UC Irvine.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC Davis 4, UC San Diego 1
Records: UC San Diego 2-9 (1-7 Big West); UC Davis 7-7 (4-3 Big West)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego came out strong and took the doubles point thanks to dominant performances at both No. 1 and No. 2. The tandem of sophomore Rachel Wagner and junior Anu Bhadada rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Aggies' Shirley Hall and Michelle Zell at No. 2. Shortly thereafter, the Tritons clinched the doubles point with a 6-0 at No. 1 from sophomore Sophie Pearson and freshman Ella Pachl.
 
In singles play, the Aggies earned wins at No. 4, 5 2, and 1 to clinch the match. Tightly contested matches at No. 3 and 6 were halted as UC Davis clinched the win.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Sophie Pearson/Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Sara Tsukamoto/Lauren Ko (UCD), 6-0
2. Rachel Wagner/Anu Bhadada  (UCSD) def. Shirley Hall/Michelle Zell (UCD), 6-0
3. Yana Gurevich/Kristina Evloeva (UCD) def. Shweta Kumar/Julianna Sabile (UCSD), 6-3
 
Singles
1. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD), def. Sophie Pearson (UCSD), 7-6 (8-6), 6-3
2. Yana Gurevich (UCD) def. Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-3, 7-5
3. Rachel Wagner (UCSD) vs. Shirley Hall (UCD), 6-4, 5-7, 0-2, dnf.
4. Michelle Zell (UCD) def. Anu Bhadada (UCSD), 6-1, 6-1
5. Olive Maunupau (UCD) def. Shweta Kumar (UCSD), 6-1, 6-4
6. Kristina Evloeva (UCD) vs. Monica Stratakos (UCSD), 6-4, 6-5, dnf.
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3; Singles (4, 5, 2, 1)
 
QUOTABLE
"I think we battled really hard against a tough team and that was the best we played all season in doubles," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "Obviously we would have liked to get the win, but it was a positive way to end the season."
 
LaPlante's message to the team after the match: "We came a long way this year. I loved our fight these last few weeks. It was an interesting year with all of the additional health and safety measures, and I'm really proud of them."
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego has concluded its first season in NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.

Return To Sport…Safely
In order for UC San Diego scholar-athletes to be permitted to return to training and competition safely and within federal, state, local, and university guidelines, the athletic department implemented a number of measures designed to complement and enhance the university's highly-successful Return To Learn program. Notable actions include being physically distanced when practical, including during out-of-season training sessions; wearing masks, except when undergoing physically strenuous exercise; and maintaining proper hygiene. Athletes, coaches, and staff are testing at a higher frequency than the campus population, teams adhere to CDC, NCAA, and Big West Conference guidelines, and department officials participate in regular meetings with conference and university-affiliated physicians and the UC San Diego emergency operations staff.