INDIAN WELLS, Calif.— The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team won its first ever Big West Tournament title with a 4-2 victory over Cal State Fullerton at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday morning. With the win, the Rainbow Wahine advances to its second NCAA Tournament in school history. Hawai'i improved to 13-6 overall while Cal State Fullerton fell to 20-6.
Hawai'i got off to a quick start winning the doubles point for the early 1-0 lead. UH's No. 2 duo of
Klara Pribylova and
Nikola Dolakova blanked Cal State Fullerton's Masako Makiba and Danielle Pham, 6-0. On the No. 3 court,
Marina Hruba and
Alzbeta Houbova doubled up on CSF's Jadie Acidera and Genevieve Zeidan, 6-3.
In singles, Pribylova gave UH its second point with a straight-set win over Luxizi Meng, 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4. It marked the senior's sixth-straight singles win.
The Titans' Karla Portalatin then responded by defeating UH's Hruba at No. 3, 6-2,6-2.
No. 80
Petra Melounova then notched her eighth-straight singles win at No. 1 to defeat Zeidan, 6-3, 7-5 to give UH a 3-1 lead.
Despite a valiant comeback effort, UH's No. 2 Dolakova lost in a match that ended with a second set tiebreaker to CSF's Sarah Nuno, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
With Hawai'i leading 3-2, No. 6
Roxanne Resma then clinched the match and the championship, holding off Acidera, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
The third time was the charm for the 'Bows after falling twice to UC Santa Barbara the past two seasons in 2016 and '17 in the Big West's championship match. Last year, UH was the conference's regular season champions going undefeated with an 8-0 BWC record. It is just the second conference crown that the Rainbow Wahive have ever won. The 'Bows won the Western Athletic Conference championship in 2012, the school's final season in the WAC. That year, UH faced Notre Dame in the opening round of their first NCAA appearance that was hosted by Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
The Rainbow Wahine will find out where they will be going on the NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Selection Show which will be aired on Tuesday, May 1 at 11:00 a.m. (HT) at NCAA.com.
2018 Big West Women's Tennis Tournament Final
Hawaii 4, Cal State Fullerton 2
Apr 29, 2018 at Indian Wells, CA
(Indian Wells Tennis Garden)
Singles competition
1. #80
Petra Melounova (UH) def. Zeidan, Genevieve (CSF) 6-3, 7-5
2. Nuno, Sarah (CSF) def.
Nikola Dolakova (UH) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Portalatin, Karla (CSF) def.
Marina Hruba (UH) 6-2, 6-2
4.
Klara Pribylova (UH) def. Meng, Luxizi (CSF) 6-2, 6-3
5. Emery, Caisey Lee (CSF) vs.
Michelle Pits (UH) 4-6, 6-2, 1-2, unfinished
6.
Roxanne Resma (UH) def. Acidera, Jadie (CSF) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Nuno, Sarah/Portalatin, Karla (CSF) vs.
Petra Melounova/
Roxanne Resma (UH) 4-5, unfinished
2.
Klara Pribylova/
Nikola Dolakova (UH) def. Makiba, Masako/Pham, Danielle (CSF) 6-0
3.
Marina Hruba/
Alzbeta Houbova (UH) def. Acidera, Jadie/Zeidan, Genevieve (CSF) 6-3
Match Notes:
Hawaii 13-6
Cal State Fullerton 20-6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,3,1,2,6)
T-3:15
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