IRVINE, Calif. – Sophomore captain Sophie Pearson picked up a win at No. 1 singles and freshman Ella Pachl was victorious at No. 2 but it wasn't enough as the UC San Diego women's tennis team fell 5-2 at UC Irvine in a Big West Conference match on Saturday afternoon.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC Irvine 5. UC San Diego 2
Records: UC San Diego 1-5 (0-3 Big West); UC Irvine 2-7 (2-3 Big West)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Pearson and Pachl earned a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles, but the Anteaters won the other doubles matches to take the point and go up 1-0.
 
In singles action, Pachl won her first set 6-4 before her opponent's injury forced a stoppage at No. 2. With the match tied 1-1, the Anteaters clinched the victory with wins at sixth, third and fifth singles. Pearson continued to battle at the top spot, and earned a hard-fought 6-7 (7-5), 7-5, 10-7 victory to close out the afternoon.
 
RESULTS
Click here for a complete box score
 
QUOTABLE
"Sophie had a great day and played with the confidence we always knew she could," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "Although we lost, our team played really well and I was quite pleased with the improvement we showed."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Saturday's singles victory was Pachl's second this season.
• Sophomore Julianna Sabile returned to the lineup at No. 6 singles for the Tritons.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego is back at Northview Tennis Courts on Wednesday, when the Tritons host UC Riverside in a Big West Conference showdown. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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.