LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego swept all three doubles matches and won four singles matches as the Tritons rolled to a 5-2 victory over visiting UC Riverside Wednesday afternoon at Northview Tennis Courts. Playing in their first season as a member of NCAA Division I, the win marked the Tritons' first-ever triumph over a Big West Conference opponent.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 5. UC Riverside 2
Records: UC San Diego 2-5 (1-3 Big West); UC Riverside 0-5 (0-4 Big West)
HOW IT HAPPENED
In doubles play, UC San Diego captains
Rachel Wagner and
Anu Bhadada made quick work of their opponents with a 6-3 victory. At No. 3, junior
Shweta Kumar and freshman
Monica Stratakos earned a hard-fought 7-5 win to secure the doubles point for the Tritons. Sophomore
Sophie Pearson and freshman
Ella Pachl completed the doubles sweep with a 7-5 win at No. 1.
In singles action, Pachl made quick work of her opponent at No. 2 for a 6-2, 6-0 victory. With the Tritons in front 2-0, Stratakos closed out a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 to give UC San Diego a 3-0 lead over the Highlanders. Pearson sealed the victory with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 win at No. 1.
With victory already secured for the match, Wagner kept the momentum in UC San Diego's favor with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win at No. 3.
RESULTS
Click here for a complete box score
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Wednesday's singles victory was Pachl's third this season and second straight.
- Pachl and Pearson have won two doubles matches in a row at the No. 1 position.
- UC San Diego is 2-0 at Northview Tennis Courts and the Tritons have won 10 of their last 11 home matches dating back to 2019.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will compete in its final two road matches of the season this weekend. On Saturday, the Tritons play at Cal Poly. The following day, UC San Diego visits UC Santa Barbara. First serve for both Big West Conference matches is scheduled for 11 a.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.
