DAVIS, Calif. — In the closest match of the season, UC Davis came back after dropping the doubles point to lead the day, but ultimately fell to Saint Mary's 4-3 at the Marya Welch Tennis Center.

Saint Mary's got off to a quick start with wins at the top two doubles courts to take the opening point. At the clinch, Yana Gurevich and Kristina Evloeva were leading their opponents 5-3 when their match was abandoned.  

UC Davis took its first lead of the day after wins from two freshmen, who were racing to be the first off the court. Gurevich dismantled Danielle McIntyre 6-1, 6-4 by winning five consecutive games to erase a 1-4 second set deficit, and Lauren Ko defeated Liesl Pieters 6-4, 6-1 to give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.

No. 19 Mariia Kozyreva answered back for the Gaels, overcoming Sara Tsukamoto 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 to even the score at 2-2, followed by a steady performance from Kristina Breisacher at No. 2, outlasting Jordan Harris 6-3, 6-4.

With the match within one win for the Aggies, both remaining courts were locked in a three-set battle. Evloeva had just closed a dominant second set to force a third, while Shirley Hall had dropped the second and was looking to turn things around. 

In an all-freshman duel, Evloeva fell 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to Gabriela Tevez, setting up Hall to be the deciding match. Hall jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third set, but her opponent newcomer Lene Mari Hovda did not miss another ball, and came out on top for the Gaels with a 7-5 third set clinch. 

The Aggies fall to 4-3 with the loss, and the Gaels record their second straight win for a 2-2 record. 

UC Davis will return to Marya Welch Tennis Center on Saturday, Feb. 8, hosting another West Coast Conference foe in Santa Clara at 1:30 PM, following the morning's men's tennis match against Saint Mary's.

UC Davis 3, Saint Mary's 4
February 6, 2020
Davis, Calif.

Doubles
1. Chloe Goyette/Jordan Harris (SMC) def. Sara Tsukamoto/Lauren Ko (UCD) 6-2
2. Danielle McIntyre/Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. Kristina Breisacher/Shirley Hall (UCD) 6-3
3. Yana Gurevich/Kristina Evloeva (UCD) vs. Lene Mari Hovda/Gabriela Tevez (SMC) 5-3, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 2*

Singles
1. #19 Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) 6-4, 6-2
2. Kristina Breisacher (UCD) def. Jordan Harris (SMC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Lene Mari Hovda (SMC) def. Shirley Hall (UCD) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
4. Yana Gurevich (UCD) def. Danielle McIntyre (SMC) 6-1, 6-4
5. Lauren Ko (UCD) def. Liesl Pieters (SMC) 6-4, 6-1
6. Gabriela Tevez (SMC) def. Kristina Evloeva (UCD) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 1, 2, 6, 3*

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.

MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 athletics programs.
Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year.
All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs.
To learn more about projects the Marya Welch Initiative is currently funding, like the Marya Welch Initiative on Facebook. Join this groundbreaking program by clicking here, contacting Assistant AD for Leadership Giving and Alumni Engagement Liz Martin at (530) 752-7326 or emartin@ucdavis.edu.

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.