RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC San Diego wrapped up its second Division I season with a convincing 5-2 Big West victory at UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon at SRC Tennis Courts. The Tritons swept doubles action and won four of six singles matches to end their season on a winning note.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 5, UC Riverside 2
Records: UC San Diego 4-17, 2-7 Big West; UC Riverside 3-14, 0-9 Big West
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons swept doubles action to take a 1-0 lead in the match. At the first position, senior captain Anu Bhadada and sophomore Ella Pachl made quick work of their foes with a 6-1 victory. UC San Diego clinched the point thanks to a nifty 6-2 win at No. 3 by junior Rachel Wagner and freshman Adriana Tabares. Freshmen Naomi Nguyen and Katelyn Vu completed the sweep when they won 6-4 at No. 2.
 
In singles play, the Tritons increased their lead to 2-0 after Wagner won in straight sets at No. 5, 6-3, 6-3. Vu gave the Tritons a commanding 3-0 advantage when she completed her 6-3, 6-4 win at second singles. The Highlanders responded with wins at No. 4 and No. 6.
 
With her team leading 3-2, Tabares clinched the win for the Tritons with her 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 3. Pachl placed an exclamation point on the afternoon with her 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph at No. 1.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Ella Pachl/Anu Bhadada (UCSD) def. Mahli Silpachai/Hanh Pham (UCR), 6-1
2. Naomi Nguyen/Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Natalie Shamma/Niki Shahbazi (UCR), 6-4
3. Rachel Wagner/Adriana Tabares (UCSD) def. Serina Saltzen/Sydney Tran (UCR), 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
 
Singles
1. Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Mahli Silpachai (UCR), 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
2. Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Hanh Pham (UCR), 6-3, 6-4
3. Adriana Tabares (UCSD) def. Natalie Shamma (UCR), 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2
4. Sofia Lazzaroni (UCR) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 7-5, 6-2
5. Rachel Wagner (UCSD) def. Serina Saltzen (UCR), 6-3, 6-3
6. Sydney Tran (UCR) def. Anu Bhadada (UCSD), 2-6, 6-2, 6-1

Order of finish: 5, 2, 4, 6, 3, 1
 

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QUOTABLE
"I'm so proud of the way we ended the season on such a strong note," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "We played to win, and our energy was great all afternoon. Ella [Pachl] and Adriana [Tabares] both persevered in their third set to come out on top."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Pachl and Wagner each won their fifth singles match of the season – the most of any Triton.
• The freshmen doubles tandem of Nguyen and Vu teamed up to go 8-4 in their debut collegiate season.
• The match marked the final contest for graduating Tritons Anu Bhadada, Shweta Kumar, and Julianna Sabile.
• UC San Diego has now won both meetings between these two programs since joining the Big West prior to the 2020-21 season.
• The triumph was the Tritons' first road victory of the season.

 
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.