LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego kicked off Big West play with a resounding 5-2 women's tennis victory over UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon at Northview Tennis Courts.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 5, UC Irvine 2
Records: UC San Diego 2-4, 1-0; UC Irvine 0-4, 0-2
HOW IT HAPPENED
For the third time in the last four matches, the Tritons earned the doubles point. UC San Diego's freshmen tandem of
Naomi Nguyen and
Katelyn Vu picked their second straight win, 6-3 at No. 2. The Tritons clinched the point when junior
Sophie Pearson and sophomore
Ella Pachl won 6-3 at No. 1. UC San Diego completed the doubles sweep when senior captain
Anu Bhadada and junior
Rachel Wagner were victorious in the third position by a 6-4 score.
When singles play began, UC San Diego took a 2-0 lead in the match as Nguyen won at No. 3 when her opponent was forced to retire due to injury. The Tritons went up 3-0 as Pachl was victorious at No. 1, 6-3, 6-3. The Anteaters won at No. 4 and No. 6 to draw within 3-2 in the match. But UC San Diego clinched the conference win with Wagner's three-set win at No. 5. Pearson won a marathon match at No. 2 to make the final score 5-2 in favor of the Tritons.
RESULTS
Doubles
1.
Sophie Pearson/Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Jessica Tsukiji/Alyssa Fossorier (UCI), 6-3
2.
Naomi Nguyen/Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico/Jenna Schlatter (UCI), 6-3
3.
Anu Bhadada/
Rachel Wagner (UCSD) def. Emily Fowler/Mia Totah (UCI), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1.
Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico (UCI), 6-3, 6-3
2.
Sophie Pearson (UCSD) def. Jessica Tsukiji (UCI), 7-5, 2-6, 10-6
3.
Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Jenna Schlatter (UCI), 1-1, ret.
4. Alyssa Fossorier (UCI) def.
Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
5.
Rachel Wagner (UCSD) def. Emily Fowler (UCI), 6-1, 0-6, 6-4
6. Mia Totah (UCI) def.
Anna Snissarenko (UCSD), 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 1, 4, 6, 5, 2
QUOTABLE
"This was a very exciting match and a great way to start Big West play," said UC San Diego head coach
Liz LaPlante. "Rachel [Wagner] came back in her usual fashion and Sophie and Ella played really well."
TRITON TIDBITS
- The UC San Diego doubles tandem of Bhadada and Wagner improved to 4-1 at No. 3 doubles.
- Saturday was the third time the Tritons have captured the doubles point and the first time UC San Diego won all three.
- Pearson's triumph at second singles was her first of the season.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego continues its stretch of five consecutive home matches on Feb. 11 when the Tritons host Cal Poly in a Big West match at Northview Tennis Courts. First serve is scheduled for 1 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 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.
