IRVINE, Calif.  – UC San Diego split singles action with UC Irvine but the Anteaters used a tiebreak to earn the doubles point for a 4-3 victory over the Tritons in a Big West match Saturday afternoon at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
 
Sophie Pearson, Grace Gamal and Katelyn Vu were all singles winners for UC San Diego.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 3, UC Irvine 4
Records: UC San Diego 8-12 (1-6 BW), UC Irvine 9-4 (2-3 BW)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Doubles was a tightly contested affair, but the Anteaters ultimately took the point. The Tritons' No. 2 tandem of Rachel Wagner and Katelyn Vu got things off to a promising start with an impressive 6-1 victory over UCI's Alyssia Fossorier and Jenna Schlatter. The Anteaters' top pair of Carolyna and Emily Fowler outlasted the Tritons' Kelly Leung and Ella Pachl, 6-4, to even up doubles play. The point was ultimately decided on court three, where UCI's Amanda Perez and Asha Gidwani prevailed, 7-5, over the Tritons' Pearson and Naomi Nguyen.
 
In singles play, the Anteaters were a straight-sets winner on court five, taking a 2-0 lead in the match. UC San Diego rallied to tie the score thanks to Pearson's 6-3, 6-4 win on No. 4 and Gamal's 6-4, 7-6 (5) triumph at the third position.  
 
After dropping the first set, UC Irvine's Fossorier won 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on court two, giving the home team a 3-2 advantage in the match. The Anteaters earned the win with another three-set match: a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3 win by Schlatter on court one.
 
Meantime, at the sixth position, Vu was engaged in a battle with Carolyna Fowler. After falling 7-5 in the first set, the Triton sophomore rallied for a 6-4 win in the second set and ultimately was a 7-6 (5) winner in the third.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. Carolyna Fowler/Emily Fowler (UCI) def. Ella Pachl/Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-4
2. Rachel Wagner/Katelyn Vu (UCSD) def. Alyssia Fossorier/Jenna Schlatter (UCI), 6-1
3. Amanda Perez/Asha Gidwani (UCI) def. Sophie Pearson/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 7-5

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
 
Singles
1. Jenna Schlatter (UCI) def. Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3
2. Alyssia Fossorier (UCI) def. Ella Pachl (UCSD), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Grace Gamal (UCSD) def. Asha Gidwani (UCI), 6-4, 7-6 (5)
4. Sophie Pearson (UCSD) def. Amanda Perez (UCI), 6-3, 6-4
5. Haily Huynh (UCI) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-1, 6-4
6. Katelyn Vu (UCSD) vs. Carolyna Fowler (UCI), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
 
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6
 
QUOTABLE
"That doubles point proved to be really important today, and credit to Irvine for their strong play to earn it," said UC San Diego head coach Liz LaPlante. "We had some really big performances in singles, and some positive results to build upon into next week."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego sophomore Katelyn Vu has won four consecutive singles matches and leads the Tritons with 11 victories.
• Vu improved to 5-2 against Big West competition with her win.
• UC Irvine took a 2-1 lead in the series between these two teams with Saturday's victory. The home team has won all three matches in the series since UC San Diego joined The Big West.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons are back in La Jolla for a non-conference match on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Point Loma before resuming Big West action on April 16 vs. CSUN.
 
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.