LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego women's tennis doubles tandem of sophomore Sophie Pearson and freshman Ella Pachl were recognized as All-Big West Conference Honorable Mention on Wednesday. The duo becomes the first UC San Diego pair recognized by the Big West for their on-court play. The Tritons recently completed their first season as members of the Big West Conference and NCAA Division I.
 
Playing at the No. 1 position, Pearson and Pachl combined for four wins in doubles play against Big West opponents. With their 6-2 win at Cal Poly on April 10, the tandem helped the Tritons become the first Big West opponent to take the doubles point from the Mustangs, who led the Conference in overall victories this season.
 
"This is such a well-deserved honor for Sophie and Ella, and I am so proud of them," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "To see their improvement over the course of the season was incredible and was so evident in their 6-0 win over UC Davis despite Ella's severe ankle sprain in the middle of the set!"
 
Pearson and Pachl also combined for five singles wins this season. As a team, UC San Diego finished with a record of 2-9 overall and 1-7 in Big West play. One of the youngest teams in the conference, the UC San Diego roster featured no seniors.

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.