FULLERTON, Calif. – The Cal State Fullerton women's tennis team dropped its second heartbreaker in a row suffering a 4-3 loss to No. 42 UC Irvine in Big West Conference action at the Titan Tennis Courts on Thursday afternoon.
Doubles action proved crucial for Fullerton (1-6, 0-3 Big West) as the Titans lost the doubles point, but split singles results. The Titans won their three matches at the top of the lineup while suffering losses at No. 4- No. 6.
No. 42 UC Irvine improved to 3-3 on the year, and the Anteaters, the defending Big West Conference champions, won their league opener.
Playing at the No. 1 position for the second time this year, freshman Alexis Valenzuela (4-3) defeated Marivick Mamiit 6-1, 6-7 (5), 10-8. The native of West Covina, Calif., has won three straight matches.
Fellow rookie Camille De Leon (5-2) picked up a three-set victory as well for the Titans, edging Sarah Gong, 6-1, 4-6, 11-9, at the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
Senior Morgan McIntosh (2-5) earned Fullerton's third win in singles play at No. 2 in the lineup, defeating UC Irvine's Franziska Goettsching, 6-3, 7-5.
Fullerton began singles play trailing 0-1 after the Titans dropped two of three doubles matches. The team of Valenzuela and junior Kalika Slevcove improved to 5-2 on the year after edging the team of Gong and Mamiit, 7-6 (9-7) at No. 2 doubles.
Junior Megan Sanford partnered with Rebekkah Ermac at No. 3 doubles in her first action of the year.
Fullerton returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 22 hosting Southern Utah at the Titan Tennis Courts.
No. 42 UC Irvine 4, Cal State Fullerton 3
Titan Tennis Courts (Fullerton, Calif.)
Doubles
1. Franziska Goettsching/Ali Facey (UCI) def. Camille De Leon/Morgan McIntosh (CSF), 8-1
2. Kalika Slevcove/Alexis Valenzuela (CSF) def. Sarah Gong/Marivick Mamiit (UCI), 7-6 (9-7)
3. Brooke Schweyer/Sarah Stadfelt (UCI) def. Rebekkah Ermac/Megan Sandford (CSF), 8-2
Singles
1. Alexis Valenzuela (CSF) def. Marivick Mamiit (UCI), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 10-8
2. Morgan McInotsh (CSF) def. Franziska Goettsching (UCI), 6-3, 7-5
3. Camille De Leon (CSF) def. Sarah Gong (UCI), 6-1, 4-6, 11-9
4. Ali Facey (UCI) def. Kalika Slevcove (CSF), 6-4, 6-1
5. Kat Facey (UCI) def. Rebekkah Ermac (CSF), 6-1, 6-1
6. Sarah Stadfelt (UCI) def. Jessica Pepa (CSF), 6-1, 6-4
Doubles Order
3, 1, 2
Singles Order
5,4,6,3,2,1
UCI (3-3, 1-0 Big West)
CSF (1-6, 0-3 Big West)