INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—The No. 4-seed University of Hawai'i women's tennis team (9-9, 6-2 Big West) began defense of their Big West Tournament crown on Friday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The Rainbow Wahine fought hard to blank fifth-seeded UC Davis, 4-0 to begin action in the tourney's quarterfinal round.
 
It was the second-straight match against the Aggies as the 'Bows ended their regular season at UC Davis this past weekend.
 
Hawai'i captured the doubles point to start the match. UH's No. 1 duo of Petra Melounova and Nikola Dolakova quickly dispatched UCD's Kelsie Bryant and Sara Tsukamoto, 6-1. On the No. 2 court, Roxanne Resma and Michelle Pits defeated the Aggies' Nikita Pradeep and Shirley Hall.
 
In singles, 60^th-ranked Melounova knocked off Pradeep in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-3 to start things off. It marked Melounova's fifth-straight singles win and she has now won 13 of her last 14 matches.  On the No. 6 court, Alzbeta Houbova also won her fifth straight singles match. She defeated Skyler Holm, 6-3, 6-1.
 
No. 4 Pits then clinched the match for Hawai'i recorded a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kristina Breisacher to clinch the match for the 'Bows. Pits had fallen behind in the second set and trailed 3-4 before reeling off three-straight games to seal the win. It marked Pits fifth-straight singles win as well.
 
 
The Rainbow Wahine advance to the semifinals where they will take on top-seeded UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, April 27 at 6:30 a.m. at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Hawai'i defeated the Gauchos in Honolulu on their Senior Day, 6-1. It will be a rematch of last year's Big West Tournament semifinals match with UH edging out UCSB, 4-3 in 2018.