SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- The University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine tennis team looked to break a six game losing streak and came close, but the Gauchos edged out the Rainbows, 4-3, on the Santa Barbara campus Sunday.

Much responsibility was placed on freshman Lauren Fitzgerald who led the team in the No. 1 singles position. Fitzgerald fell in two sets, 6-1, 6-2, marking her third loss in three games in the lead singles spot.

Fellow freshman, Lyndsey Thomas got the job done in the No. 6 position with an impressive win over Santa Barbara’s Myriah FitzGibbon. Thomas closed the match in two sets, 6-3, 6-2, marking her first win in dual competition and improving her singles record to 2-1 overall.

However, the highlight of the match came from senior co-captain Birgitte Brubakken who dominated her match by sweeping Santa Barbara’s Chelsea Dillon, 6-0, 6-0, in the No. 3 position. Besides improving her record to 3-3 overall and 2-2 in doubles competition, this marks the first singles sweep of the season by a Rainbow Wahine player.

Unfortunatley, the efforts of Kravets, Thomas, and Brubakken was not enough as the Gauchos pulled out the victory.

The Rainbow Wahine look to break the seven game losing streak at home when they take on Cal State Sacramento at the UH Tennis Complex, Mar. 5. Matches will begin at 3:00 p.m.



UC Santa Barbara def. Hawaii, 4-3

Singles
Uzma Kahn def. Lauren Fitzgerald (UH), 6-1, 6-2
Cindy Ammann def. Stacy Hakikawa (UH), 6-1, 6-1
Birgitte Brubakken (UH) def. Chelsea Killon, 6-0, 6-0
Polina Kravets (UH) def. Michelle Stewart, 6-2, 6-0
Shiho Fukushima def. Justine Boutet (UH), 6-3, 6-3
Lyndsey Thomas (UH) def. Myriah FitzGibbon, 6-3, 6-1

Doubles
Ammann/Khan def. Fitzgerald/Hakikawa (UH), 8-0
Dillon/Stewart def. Brubakken/Mainor (UH), 8-3
Boutet/Kravets (UH) def. Fukushima/Amanda Pazornik, 8-2