HONOLULU--The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team (6-5, 4-0 Big West) opened the Rainbow Wahine Spring Invitational with a 4-3 win over Illinois State. The Redbirds won the doubles point, but the Rainbow Wahine four of the first five singles matches as Sheena Masuda clinched the match with a sweep at No. 5 at the UH Tennis Complex on Wednesday.

Hawai'i's No. 3 duo of Anna Kern and Joëlle Lanz opened the match with a 6-3 win over Illinois State's Nura Sanz and Zoe Limparis. The Redbirds then won the last two doubles matches at No. 1 with Tijana Zlatanovic and Lana Cacuiovic held off UH's Ana Vilcek and Nikola Homolkova, 6-3. ISU's Siliva Pmarolli and Nevena Kolarevic secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Nelly Knezkova and Masuda.

Hawai'i, however, got things rolling in singles, winning the first three matches to take a 3-1 lead. UH's No. 6 Lanz swept Sofia Rodrigo to start things off, 6-2, 6-2. UH's No. 1 and 124th-ranked Ana Vilcek defeated Zlatanovic, 6-2, 6-2 and on the No. 2 court, Knezkova followed with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Caculovic. The Redbirds' Pomarolli then stemmed UH's momentum with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Hannah Galindo at No. 4. But UH's No. 5 Masuda then clinched the match with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Nuria Sanz.

Hawai'i concludes the Rainbow Wahine Spring Invitational on Saturday, March 16th against Pacific. First serve is set for 11:00 a.m. HT at the UH Tennis Complex.

Hawai'i 4, Illinois State 3