DAVIS, Calif. — Against a tough Highlander team, the Aggies recorded four big singles wins to defeat Big West Conference opponent UC Riverside 4-2 at the Marya Welch Tennis Center on Saturday.
Kelsie Bryant and Sara Tsukamoto improved to 9-9 in duals this year at the No. 1 position, matching Nikita Pradeep and Shirley Hall to lead the team in dual wins. However, the win on court one would be the only doubles match to fall in favor of the Aggies, as UC Riverside claimed the doubles point.
Entering singles play with a 0-1 disadvantage, UC Davis quickly evened the score with a win at court one, as Pradeep dismantled Lindsey Gelinas 6-2, 6-1 as the first match off. The Highlanders would once again take the lead with a win at No. 6, but that would be the last of the day for UCR.
The Aggies dropped the first set on courts three and four, but battled back to claim dominant second sets. Tsukamoto and Jessica Walker both won the first set, but fell in the second to lead to a deciding third set. With the Aggies needing three of the four remaining singles matches, Tsukamoto and Hall finished one after another, notching a 6-1 and 6-2 third set, respectively, to put UC Davis within one.
On court four, Breisacher was leading in the third and final set, but Highlander Hanh Pham made a comeback to even the score at 5-5 in the third, while Walker was midway through her own. Finally clinching the match with a 7-5 third set win, Breisacher is now 7-4 in the No. 4 spot, and has won her last four consecutive matches. Tsukamoto is riding a five-match win streak heading into next week's regular season finale.
UC Davis returns to Marya Welch Tennis Center at 11 AM on April 21, Easter Sunday, for a Big West dual against Hawaii, before heading to the Big West Championships the following weekend in Indian Wells. The match against Hawaii will also serve as Senior Day for lone senior Isabella von Ebbe, highlighting an outstanding Aggie career.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
