LA JOLLA, Calif. – Hoping to keep their win streak alive, UC San Diego women's tennis team faced a tough Alabama squad at the Northview Tennis courts on Saturday. The Crimson Tide took the doubles point and found early success in singles play on the way to a 6-1 victory over the Tritons.
The setback snapped UC San Diego's modest two-match win streak.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Alabama 6, UC San Diego 1
Records: Alabama 3-1; UC San Diego 2-2
HOW IT HAPPENED
Facing the Southeastern Conference foe for the first time, the Tritons fell in doubles taking action at No. 2, 6-0, and No. 1, 6-3. In an attempt to battle back before beginning singles, senior
Rachel Wagner and sophomore
Katelyn Vu earned a great win for UC San Diego at No. 3, 6-4.
In singles action, Alabama earned wins at Nos. 5, 2, 1, 4, and 3 to clinch the victory. UC San Diego continued to battle, and Vu secured another impressive singles win in straight sets at No. 6, 6-4, 6-4.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Petra Sedlackova/Anna Parkhomenko (UA) def.
Naomi Nguyen/
Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-3
2. Loudmilla Bencheikh/Ola Pitak (UA) def.
Grace Gamal/
Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-0
3.
Rachel Wagner/
Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Sydney Orefice/Klara Milicevic (UA), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Loudmilla Bencheikh (UA) def.
Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-1, 7-5
2. Petra Sedlackova (UA) def.
Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-0, 6-4
3. Ola Pitak (UA) def.
Grace Gamal (UCSD), 6-4, 7-5
4. Anna Parkhomenko (UA) def.
Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-2, 6-2
5. Klara Milicevic (UA) def.
Sophie Pearson (UCSD), 6-0, 6-1
6.
Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Ansley Cheshire (UA), 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 5, 2, 6, 1, 4, 3
QUOTABLE
"I was pleased with our effort and intensity against a really strong team," said UC San Diego head coach
Liz LaPlante. "The scores today don't accurately reflect how close some of the sets were. Our third doubles team is really playing well and Katelyn's win at No. 6 was particularly impressive."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Saturday marked the Triton's first matchup with Alabama in program history.
- Senior Rachel Wagner and sophomore Katelyn Vu continue their third doubles match win of the season.
- Katelyn Vu now has a 3 singles match win streak to begin her championship season.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego will take a week of training to prepare for their away match on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12pm against San Diego State, at SDSU.
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 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 NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
