LONG BEACH, Calif. – Decimated by injury, UC San Diego fell to host Long Beach State by a 7-0 score at the Rhodes Tennis Center Saturday afternoon. The loss was the Tritons' third in a row; the Beach improved to a perfect 3-0 in Big West play.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Long Beach State 7, UC San Diego 0
Records: UC San Diego 2-8, 1-4 Big West; Long Beach State 3-3, 3-0 Big West
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beach swept doubles action with 6-2 wins at No. 2 and No. 1. Playing as a pair for the first time at No. 3, junior Rachel Wagner and freshman Adriana Tabares fought hard before falling 6-5 (4).
 
In singles play, junior Sophie Pearson dropped the first set before being forced to retire due to injury. That default gave Long Beach State a 2-0 lead. The home team clinched the win with victories at No. 1 and No. 4.
 
Playing at sixth singles UC San Diego senior captain Anu Bhadada fell 4-6, 6-2, 7-10. She was the only Triton to take a set on Saturday.
 
RESULTS
For a complete box score, click here.
 
QUOTABLE
"We battled hard against a really tough team," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "Playing with a new doubles team for the first time is always an adjustment. Our effort was good, our morale is good, and we'll get ready for the Matadors next week."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Freshman Naomi Nguyen – who had played the last eight matches at the No. 3 position – missed Saturday's match with The Beach due to injury.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the Tritons and the Beach.
• The match was UC San Diego's first on the road since Jan. 29 at San Diego State.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue Big West action next weekend as they visit CSUN March 5. First serve is scheduled for Noon from the Matador Tennis Complex in Northridge.
 
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 has begun a new era 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 II and III 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 garnered 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.