The UCSD women’s tennis team traveled to UC Davis this past weekend, April 17 through April 19, to compete in the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s Championship Tournament. The Tritons, who finished second last year, won their first competition 5-0 and finished strongly the next day with another win, 5-2. UCSD made it to the finals, only to be defeated by rival Cal Poly Pomona, 5-0.
The No. 2-seeded Tritons played their first game on April 17 against San Francisco State, which was seeded fifth out of the eight teams competing at Davis. UCSD’s No. 1 doubles team of co-captain Julie Westerman and Jenna Ishii defeated Amanda Wong and Stephanie Kan, 8-1. Jasmin Dao and Tara Siddiqui defeated Elly Swetz and Melissa Magat on the No. 2 court, 8-1. Co-captain Kristina Jansen and Allison Ishii defeated Beth Reiken and Jenny Underwood at No. 3, 8-0.
Westerman and Jenna Ishii are ranked as the No. 7 doubles team in the nation, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II women’s tennis ranking. In the west, they are ranked No. 2. Westerman is also ranked as the No. 13 singles player in the west division.
The next day, UCSD would play third-ranked Davis in the semifinals. Westerman and Jenna Ishii were defeated by Janice Salomon and Nancy Mok, 8-5, and at No. 3, Jansen and Allison Ishii were defeated by Christy Battig and Jennifer Fong, 8-3. On the No. 2 court, Dao and Siddiqui defeated Gretchen Schantz and Ally Muller, 9-8 (7-3). The Tritons came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the match against the Aggies 5-2.
On April 19, UCSD played Cal Poly Pomona for the CCAA Championship. Cal Poly entered the match seeded No. 1 without having allowed one match win in the championships so far. Westerman and Jenna Ishii were defeated by Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis and Michelle Hammond at No. 1, 8-6. The doubles No. 2 team of Dao and Siddiqui were defeated by Dehlia Feliz and Michelle Rabinovich, 8-5. At No. 3, Jansen and Allison Ishii were defeated by Katrina Holmberg and Sara Jex, 8-4. In singles, Ortiz-Luis topped Westerman, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 1, before Hammond clinched the match with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Siddiqui at No. 3.
The final result from the weekend was Cal Poly Pomona first, followed by UCSD, UC Davis, Grand Canyon University, San Francisco State, Sonoma State, CSU Los Angeles and CSU San Bernardino.
The Tritons next play Point Loma Nazarene for a make up match on April 29.
The NCAA’s West Regionals for Division II tennis will take place from May 2 to May 4.
