LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego women's tennis dropped the doubles point but swept singles action to earn a resounding 6-1 victory over No. 66 Fresno State on Friday afternoon at Northview Tennis Courts. The Tritons (7-6) earned their first Division I victory over a ranked foe.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: UC San Diego 6, Fresno State 1
Records: UC San Diego 7-6; Fresno State 6-4
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
No. 66 Fresno State won the doubles point, taking courts one and two. Playing as a tandem at No. 3 for the first time, Triton freshmen Allison Lian and Athena Wardy held a 5-4 lead when the Bulldogs clinched the point.
 
In singles play, UC San Diego came back to win all six singles courts to seal the victory. Wardy (court six) and senior Adriana Tabares (fifth singles) were quick winners on their respective courts. Wardy won 6-1, 6-2 and Tabares was a 6-0, 6-2 victor. With those victories in hand and the Tritons leading, 2-1, junior Grace Gamal closed out her win at No. 4, taking a 6-4, 6-1 triumph.
 
Team captain Julia Haynes sealed the comeback win, thanks to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1. Lian was a 6-2, 6-2 winner at No. 3 and senior Kelly Leung closed out play with a three-set win: 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.
 
TENNIS MATCH RESULTS
UC San Diego vs. Fresno State
March 7, 2025 at La Jolla, Calif.
(Northview Tennis Courts)
 
UC San Diego 6, Fresno State 1
 
Singles competition
1. Julia Haynes (UCSD) def. Matilde Magrini (FSU), 6-2, 6-1
2. Kelly Leung (UCSD) def. Sofia Pizzoni (FSU), 6-2,1-6, 6-3
3. Allison Lian (UCSD) def. Charlotte Giscion (FSU), 6-2, 6-2
4. Grace Gamal (UCSD) def. Paulina Montiel (FSU), 6-4, 6-1
5. Adriana Tabares (UCSD) def. Eliza Dunbar (FSU), 6-0, 6-2
6. Athena Wardy (UCSD) def. Klara Vukicevic (FSU), 6-1, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Yinglak Jittakoat/Matilde Magrini (FSU) def. Julia Haynes/Naomi Nguyen (UCSD), 6-2
2. Andjela Lopicic/Klara Vukicevic (FSU) def. Kelly Leung/Adriana Tabares (UCSD), 6-4
3. Allison Lian/Athena Wardy (UCSD) vs. Eliza Dunbar/Paulina Montiel (FSU), 5-4, unfinished
 
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (6,5,4,1,3,2)
 
QUOTABLE
"After dropping the doubles point, we came out in singles and dominated at No. 5 and No. 6 right away. We won four first singles sets and that built momentum," said UC San Diego head coach Sebastian Bader. "This was a great team win, coming back to sweep singles."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego improved its home record to 6-1.
• The win was the Tritons' first over a ranked Division I foe.
• Julia Haynes improved to 9-2 in singles action this spring – all from the first position.
• Freshman Athena Wardy is 2-0 in singles action in her college career, with both victories coming at No. 6.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons host New Mexico State in a non-conference match on Thursday, March 13. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. from Northview Tennis Courts in La Jolla.
 
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 24-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.