CLAREMONT, Calif. – UC San Diego began a stretch of three matches in five days, falling to CMS by a 6-1 score Saturday afternoon at Biszantz Family Tennis Center. The match was the season opener for the Athenas, ranked No. 1 in Division III.
 
UC San Diego (1-5) fell to 0-3 on the road this spring.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: No. 1 CMS 6, UC San Diego 1
Records: UCSD 1-5, No. 1 CMS 1-0
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Athenas took an early 1-0 lead after victories on courts one and two clinched the doubles point. On three, the Triton duo of grad student Sophie Pearson and junior Naomi Nguyen continued to find success with their 6-4 win over Katherine Wurster and Sena Selby.
 
In singles play, CMS clinched the match with wins on courts one, two and four. Trailing 4-0,  the Tritons got a win from Pearson on No. 5. She bested Ella Brissett 7-6 (2), 6-2 to pick up UC San Diego's only singles win of the afternoon.
 
The Athenas closed out play with three-set wins on courts three and six.
 
TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
CMS vs. UC San Diego
Feb 10, 2024 at Claremont, Calif.
(Biszantz Family Tennis Center)
 
No. 1 CMS 6, UC San Diego 1
 
Singles competition
1. Lindsay Eisenman (CMS) def. Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-3, 6-0
2. Audrey Yoon (CMS) def. Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-1, 6-2
3. Alisha Chulani (CMS) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
4. Jade Haller (CMS) def. Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-4, 6-4
5. Sophie Pearson (UCSD) def. Ella Brissett (CMS), 7-6 (2), 6-2
6. Sena Selby (CMS) def. Polina Jorniak (UCSD), 6-2, 1-6, 7-5
 
Doubles competition
1. Nikolina Batoshvili/Alisha Chulani (CMS) def. Ella Pachl/Katelyn Vu (UCSD), 6-3
2. Ella Brissett/Lindsay Eisenman (CMS) def. Kelly Leung/Polina Jorniak (UCSD), 7-6 (5)
3. Sophie Pearson/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Kathernine Wurster/Sena Selby (CMS), 6-4
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,2,4,5,3,6)
 
QUOTABLE
"This was a really tough one," said UC San Diego head coach Sebastian Bader. "We had flat energy from the start, and they rode the early momentum and outplayed us today. We can't go into matches expecting to play well; we must learn to be relentless and find ways to win when not playing our best."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• With their win at No. 3, UC San Diego's doubles tandem of Sophie Pearson and Naomi Nguyen moved to 4-0 this season and 11-2 as a pair overall.
• Pearson earned her first singles victory of the season in her third match at No. 5.
• CMS won its 18th consecutive home match.
• The Athenas are the two-time defending national champions in Division III.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego begins Big West play on Monday at Northview Tennis Courts when the Tritons host Hawai'i. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. from La Jolla. Admission is free, but parking permits are required.
 
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.