LA JOLLA, Calif. – Eric Silberman and Zach Ermert pulled off a crucial comeback in doubles play and Phillip Lan once again clinched a historic match win for the UC San Diego men's tennis team as the Tritons beat UC Riverside Monday afternoon. Silberman and Ermert's hard work put the Tritons on the front foot, and after sealing UC San Diego's first Division I victory with a win at No. 2 singles on Thursday, Lan did the same for the team's first Big West Conference triumph, as the Tritons defeated the Highlanders, 5-2, at Northview Tennis Courts.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 5, UC Riverside 2
Records: UC San Diego 2-8 (1-0 Big West), UC Riverside 3-6 (0-1 Big West)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles play was a tightly contested, back-and-forth affair. UC Riverside struck first, winning at No. 1 before Lan and freshman Pelayo Rodriguez evened things up by winning at No. 3. The point came down to No. 2, where Silberman and Ermert were trailing. But the sophomore and redshirt senior battled back, leveling the scores at six to force a tiebreaker. The pair earned a close win in the tiebreaker, and with it a crucial first point of the match for the Tritons.
 
UC San Diego having the doubles point in hand meant that the Highlanders' win at No. 3 singles only leveled the scores before sophomore Jett Cole won at No. 5 to restore the Tritons' advantage. Rodriguez won at No. 4 to put UC San Diego within a point of victory, a victory which the Highlanders' win at No. 1 singles delayed, but could not deny.
 
At No. 2 singles, Lan was on his way to finishing off what would be the decisive, hard-earned win. The junior's first set went to a tiebreaker, which at one point he trailed, 5-2. Lan then won five straight points in the tiebreaker, taking it by a score of 7-5, and with it the first set. His second set was not as close. With most of his teammates looking on, Lan won, 6-3, clinching the match for the Tritons.
 
In the final action of the evening, senior Sahm Irvine battled his way to a win in three sets at No. 6 to put an exclamation mark on UC San Diego's first Big West Conference victory.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Daniel Velek/Nolan McCaig (UCR) def. Daniel Traxler/Jett Cole (UCSD), 6-4
2. Eric Silberman/Zach Ermert (UCSD) def. Joshua Roth/Antreas Djakouris (UCR), 7-6 (7-5)
3. Pelayo Rodriguez/Phillip Lan (UCSD) def. Andreas Whelan/Justin Lamy (UCR), 7-5
 
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles
1. Antreas Djakouris (UCR) def. Daniel Traxler (UCSD), 6-2, 6-4
2. Phillip Lan (UCSD) def. Nolan McCaig (UCR), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
3. Daniel Velek (UCR) def. Zach Ermert (UCSD), 6-0, 6-3
4. Pelayo Rodriguez (UCSD) def. Joshua Roth (UCR), 6-3, 6-4
5. Jett Cole (UCSD) def. Justin Lamy (UCR), 6-3, 6-1
6. Sahm Irvine (UCSD) def. Andreas Whelan (UCR), 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 10-6
 
Order of finish: 3, 5, 4, 1, 2, 6
 
QUOTABLE
"We all knew that whoever got that doubles point was going to have a big advantage and it would be tough for the other team to dig out of that hole because we're all so evenly matched," Head Coach Timmer Willing said. "Our guys fought hard, they did a great job. Eric and Zach, in doubles, getting that match, that made a big difference for us. Good starts on most of the courts made for a close match and we're happy to get out on top."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Phillip Lan has now gone three straight matches without losing a set in either singles or doubles play
• Eric Silberman and Zach Ermert are now on a three-match winning streak as a pair at No. 2 doubles
• The men's tennis team had UC San Diego's third-shortest wait between a first D-I win and first conference win, behind only men's and women's basketball, which each accomplished both feats on the same day

UP NEXT
UC San Diego is back in action Tuesday morning, hosting Boston University. First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. PT at Northview Tennis Courts in La Jolla.
 
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.