DAVIS, Calif. – UC San Diego continued its Northern California swing Wednesday morning, falling to UC Davis, 4-3, in a hotly contested Big West match at Marya Welch Tennis Center. The Tritons won the doubles point but the Aggies won four singles courts to take the come-from-behind win.
 
The loss was UC San Diego's third straight.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC Davis 4, UC San Diego 3
Records: UC Davis 6-10 (3-3 Big West); UCSD 5-13 (1-5)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego got off to a strong start by taking the doubles point. Sophomore Grace Gamal and senior Ella Pachl were 6-4 winners on court one, and the Tritons took a 1-0 lead in the match when grad student Sophie Pearson and junior Naomi Nguyen also won 6-4 at No. 2.
 
In singles play, the Aggies took the lead after wins in the first and forth positions. The Tritons tied the score with a win at No. 3. Gamal was a 6-4, 6-3 winner at the third position to tie the match at 2-2. UC Davis forged ahead once again with its victory on court two.
 
The Aggies led 3-2 with both the fifth and sixth positions playing in their third set. UC Davis won on court six to clinch the match victory shortly before Triton freshman Polina Jorniak was a three-set winner on court five.
 
TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
UC Davis vs. UC San Diego
March 27, 2024 at Davis, Calif.
(Marya Welch Tennis Center)
 
UC Davis 4, UC San Diego 3
 
Singles competition
1. Arianna Stavropoulos (UCD) def. Ella Pachl (UCSD), 6-2, 6-2
2. Mika Ikemori (UCD) def. Kelly Leung (UCSD), 6-2, 6-2
3. Grace Gamal (UCSD) def. Kaia Wolfe (UCD), 6-4, 6-3
4. Michelle Zell (UCD) def. Sophie Pearson (UCSD), 6-1, 6-0
5. Polina Jorniak (UCSD) def. Olive Maunupau (UCD), 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
6. Carly Schwartzberg (UCD) def. Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Grace Gamal/Ella Pachl (UCSD) def. Arianna Stavropoulos/Mika Ikemori (UCD), 6-4
2. Sophie Pearson/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD) def. Olive Maunupau/Daisy Maunupau (UCD), 6-4
3. Carly Schwartzberg/Michelle Zell (UCD) vs. Katelyn Vu/Kelly Leung (UCSD), 5-2, unfinished
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (1,4,3,2,6,5)
 
QUOTABLE
"Today was a back-and-forth match with lots of momentum changes and good problem solving from both teams," said UC San Diego head coach Sebastian Bader. "I know how much the team wanted to win this one and it showed; unfortunately we came up just short."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The match was the second of four straight away from home for UC San Diego.
• The Triton tandem of grad student Sophie Pearson and junior Naomi Nguyen are now 3-1 against Big West opponents and 10-4 overall this season with their win at No. 2.
• With her win on court five, freshman Polina Jorniak is now 2-2 against Big West opponents.
• UC Davis improved to 3-1 against UC San Diego since the Tritons moved to NCAA Division I prior to the 2020-21 season.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego wraps up its trip to Northern California Thursday afternoon when the Tritons visit Sacramento State. First serve is slated for 1:30 p.m. from Sacramento State Tennis Courts.
 
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.