PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – The UC San Diego Women's Tennis team ended their third Division I season this morning in match two of the Universal Tennis NIT. They stayed competitive and fought hard the whole match, but ultimately fell 0-4 to the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
 
UC San Diego ends the season with a 10-16 record, while Appalachian State leaves 14-9 overall.
 
INSIDE THE MATCH
Final Score: UC San Diego 0, Appalachian State 4
Team Records: UC San Diego 10-16; Appalachian State 14-9
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons played really well today but struggled to complete their efforts. Although the result was 0-4, the match was competitive all the way through.
 
In doubles, the team competed hard and nearly took the point. At No. 3, Sophie Pearson and Naomi Nguyen took care of business and won their match 7-5. Rachel Wagner and Katelyn Vu (No. 2) brought their match to a tiebreaker, but the Mountaineers managed to edge them out of the win.
 
In singles, the Tritons came ready to respond and refused to go down easy. Rachel Wagner (No. 6) continued to play strong, winning her first set and coming close to taking the win, 6-3, 5-3. Naomi Nguyen was also handling her match well, maintaining a lead at No. 5, 6-4, 4-4. Katelyn Vu (No. 4) fought hard as well, reaching a third set before being cut short, 3-6, 6-1, 0-1. The Mountaineers took three swift singles wins to clinch the match victory, ending the action Nos. 4, 5, and 6 early.
 
This match marks the completion of the third Division I season for the Tritons. The team won more matches this year than its first two Division I seasons combined.
 
RESULTS
Doubles

1. Savannah Dada-Mascoll/ Ellie Murphy (App State) def. Ella Pachl/ Kelly Leung (UCSD) 6-2
2. Helena Jansen/ Erika Dodridge (App State) def. Rachel Wagner/ Katelyn Vu (UCSD) 7-6 [3]
3. Sophie Pearson/ Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Maggie Pate/ Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (App State) 7-5

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
 
Singles

1. Helena Jansen (App State) def. Kelly Leung (UCSD) 6-3, 6-2
2. Savannah Dada-Mascoll (App State) def. Grace Gamal (UCSD) 6-4, 6-2
3. Maggie Pate (App State) def. Sophie Pearson (UCSD) 6-2, 6-2
4. Olwyn Ryan-Bovey (App State) vs. Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-3, 1-6, 1-0, unfinished
5. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) vs. Ellie Murphy (App State), 6-4, 4-4, unfinished
6. Rachel Wagner (UCSD) vs. Brooke Demerath (App State), 6-3, 5-3, unfinished

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
 
QUOTE FROM COACH LIZ LAPLANTE
"Playing indoors for the first time, we ran into a tough opponent today. We really competed in doubles and showed some promise on several singles courts. Rachel was close to a win, and Naomi and Kate battled in singles, too."
 
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.