SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team opened the first day of competition at the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Western Regional Championships, Thursday, at the Barnes Tennis Center. Four singles players and two doubles team represented UH in the tournament.

In singles play, Chloe Bihag advanced to the third round of the main singles draw by outlasting Loyola Marymount's Audrey Bulkey in three sets, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. Bihag will next play Nadia Abdala of No. 18 Arizona State. Abdala, seeded No. 4, is ranked No. 24 in the ITA preseason singles rankings.

In doubles play, the team of senior Julia Sandborn and sophomore Marie Tanaka dropped an 8-3 decision to San Diego State's Sisse Nielsen and Kathryn Kitts in the first round of the main doubles draw.

The duo of senior Bihag and sophomore Sophie Kobuch received a first round bye, and will play UCLA's Riza Zalameda and Yasmin Schnack in the round of 32. The team of Zalameda and Schnack received the top seed in the tournament and is ranked No. 4 in the ITA preseason doubles rankings.

Kobuch, Sandborn, and Tanaka all lost in the first round of singles play. Kobuch dropped a heartbreaking three-set match to Nikol Dimitrova of UNLV, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. Sandborn was defeated by San Diego State's Milana Yusupov, 6-3, 6-1 and Tanaka was ousted by San Diego State's Julia Trunk, 6-0, 6-0.

The five-day individual singles and doubles tournament includes players from 16 West Region teams. The tournament continues throughout the week.

Wilson/ITA Western Regional Championships
Singles Round of 128
Nikol Dimitrova (UNLV) def. Sophie Kobuch (UH), 6-2, 1-6, 6-4
Milana Yusupov (SDSU) def. Julia Sandborn (UH), 6-3, 6-1
Julia Trunk (SDSU) def. Marie Tanaka (UH), 6-0, 6-0
Chloe Bihag (UH), bye

Singles Round of 64
Chloe Bihag (UH) def. Audrey Bulkey (LMU), 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

Doubles Round of 64
Sisse Nielsen/Kathryn Kitts (SDSU) def. Julia Sandborn/Marie Tanaka (UH), 8-3
Chloe Bihag/Sophie Kobuch (UH), bye

-UH-