CLAREMONT, Calif. – UC San Diego women's tennis got back in the win column, topping host Pomona-Pitzer, 5-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Pauley Tennis Complex. The Tritons swept doubles action and won four of six singles matches from the Sagehens, who are ranked fourth nationally in NCAA Division III.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 5, Pomona-Pitzer 2
Records: UC San Diego 3-3, Pomona-Pitzer 1-2
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego switched up its doubles lineup, flip-flopping its No. 1 and No. 2 tandems. The strategy worked, as the Tritons swept all three doubles matches. Playing as a pair at the second position for the first time, sophomores Kelly Leung and Naomi Nguyen made quick work of their opposition, downing Pomona-Pitzer's Marissa Markey and Angie Zhou, 6-2. The Tritons clinched the doubles point shortly thereafter, when the new No. 1 team of junior Ella Pachl and freshman Grace Gamal held off Nina Ye and Lauren Rha, 6-4.

UC San Diego had a battle at third doubles, but the Tritons' pair of senior Rachel Wagner and sophomore Katelyn Vu hung on for a 7-6 win to give the visitors the doubles sweep.
 
In singles action, UC San Diego took a 2-0 lead in the match when Leung was a straight sets 6-2, 6-2 winner over Ye at No. 1. The Sagehens tied the score at 2-2 with wins at No. 6 and No. 5.
 
It wasn't long before UC San Diego surged back in front. At the third position, Gamal won the first set over Rha in a tiebreak before an impressive 6-3 win in the second set. The Tritons sealed the team victory when senior captain Sophie Pearson, playing at No. 4 for the first time, won 7-6 (7-4) and rolled to a tidy 6-0 win in the second set.
 
With the match in hand, the Tritons added another point to their total when Pachl came back for a win at No. 2. After dropping her first set 7-5, Pachl won 6-3, 6-1 to conclude Wednesday's action.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Ella Pachl/Grace Gamal (UCSD) def. Nina Ye/Lauren Rha (PP), 6-4
2. Kelly Leung/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Marissa Markey/Angie Zhou (PP), 6-2
3. Rachel Wagner/Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Samantha Moore-Thomson/Amelia Poor (PP), 7-6

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Kelly Leung (UCSD) def. Nina Ye (PP), 6-2, 6-2
2. Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Angie Zhou (PP), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
3. Grace Gamal (UCSD) def. Lauren Rha (PP), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
4. Sophie Pearson (UCSD) def. Janie Marcus (PP), 7-6 (7-4), 6-0
5. Patria Aziz (PP) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-2, 6-3
6. Amelia Poor (PP) def. Rachel Wagner (UCSD) 6-4, 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 6, 5, 3, 4, 2
 
QUOTABLE
"I'm so proud of or fight today," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "This was a great confidence boost against a really good team. We know we still have things to work on but this test will help us prepare for two matches this weekend – including our Big West opener [Saturday]."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Wednesday's match was the first showdown between the Tritons and Sagehens since 2019, when UC San Diego competed in NCAA Division II.
• Junior Ella Pachl earned her first singles victory of the season.
• Senior captain Rachel Wagner competed in singles action for the first time this spring. She has played doubles in five of the team's six matches in 2023.
• Senior captain Sophie Pearson and freshman Grace Gamal each notched their third singles win of the season on Wednesday, tying them with sophomore Katelyn Vu for the team lead.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego is home for a pair of matches this weekend. The Tritons host Sacramento State at 1 p.m. Friday before opening conference play on Saturday at Noon vs. Long Beach State. Admission is free to all Triton home matches at Northview Tennis Courts, though parking permits are required seven days per week on campus.
 
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 began a new era in 2020 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 earned 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 Divisions I and II.