INDIAN WELLS, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team fell to Long Beach State in a heartbreaker, 4-3 in the Big West Conference Tournament's Championship Match. Long Beach State won the last three singles matches to overcome a 3-1 deficit for the title.
 
The Rainbow Wahine got off to a good start by winning the doubles point. UH's top duo of Petra Melounova and Nikola Dolakova held off Wiktoria Rutkowska and Dominique Meyer by a break, 6-4. But the 49ers No. 2 team of Natalia Munoz and Lalita Devarakonda defeated UH's Roxanne Resma and Michelle Pits, 6-2. But Hawai'i's No. 3 team of Alzbeta Houbova and Maayan Sela captured the point with a 7-5 win over Carlota Casampere and Zara Lennon.
 
In singles, Resma, in her final match as a Rainbow Wahine, quickly dispatched Zara Lennon in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1. But, the Beach's Sadaf Sadeghvaziri defeated UH's Houbova, 6-3, 6-2. UH's 60^th-ranked and No. 1 Melounova dropped the first set, but came roaring back for a 3-6, 6-0 ,6-4 win over Rutkowska to give UH a 3-1 lead. For Melounova, it marked her seventh-consecutive singles victory and she won 15 of her last 16 matches this season.

But that would be all for the Rainbow Wahine as the 49ers then reeled off three-straight wins to win the match and the Championship. The Beach's Munoz swept Dolakova in a hard fought two sets, 6-4, 7-6 (7) and LBSU's Devarakonda held off Pits, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 to tie the match at 3-3. For the second straight match for UH, their fate then rested on the No. 2 court and senior Sela. Sela edged out Emma Bardet in the first set, but dropped the last two sets, 5-7, 6-1, 7-5.

The loss snapped UH's seven-game win streak. The Rainbow Wahine have finished second in the Big West Tournament in three of the last four seasons.
 
Hawai'i finishes the season with a 10-10 overall record, while Long Beach State improved to 17-5 overall. The 49ers earn the Big West Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament which will be hosted at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. this year.

Long Beach State 4, Hawaii 3
Apr 28, 2019 at Indian Wells, CA (Indian Wells Tennis Garden) 
 

Singles competition

1. Melounova,Petra (UH-W) def. Wiktoria Rutkowska (LBSU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4

2. Emma Bardet (LBSU) def. Sela,Maayan (UH-W) 5-7, 6-1, 7-5

3. Natalia Munoz (LBSU) def. Dolakova,Nikola (UH-W) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)

4. Lalita Devarakonda (LBSU) def. Pits,Michelle (UH-W) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2

5. Resma,Roxanne (UH-W) def. Zara Lennon (LBSU) 6-2, 6-1

6. Sadaf Sadeghvaziri (LBSU) def. Houbova,Alzbeta (UH-W) 6-3, 6-2

 

Doubles competition

1. Melounova,Petra/Dolakova,Nikola (UH-W) def. Wiktoria Rutkowska/Dominique Meyer (LBSU) 6-4

2. Natalia Munoz/Lalita Devarakonda (LBSU) def. Resma,Roxanne/Pits,Michelle (UH-W) 6-2

3. Houbova,Alzbeta/Sela,Maayan (UH-W) def. Carlota Casasampere/Zara Lennon (LBSU) 7-5

 

Match Notes

Hawaii 10-10

Long Beach State 17-5

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,6,1,3,4,2)

Big West Women's Tennis Tournament Finals

T-3:55