SAN DIEGO, Calif.—The third-seeded University of Hawai'i women's tennis team was upset by No. 6-seed Cal State Fullerton, 4-2 in the 2024 Big West Championship's quarterfinal round on Thursday to end the Rainbow Wahine's season with a 9-12 overall record.
 
Although UH's No. 1 duo of Nikola Homolkova and Ana Vilcek won the opening doubles match, 6-2 over Sien Myoung and Josie Usereau, it was the Titans who earned the first point of the match winning on courts No. 3 and 2. The Titans' Milena Gevorgan and Seha Yu defeated UH's Hannah Galindo and Anna Kern 6-3 on the No. 3 court and on the No. 2 court, CSF's Natalie Duffy and Mariia Nikitash held off Hawai'i's Nelly Knezkova and Sheena Masuda, 7-5 for the early 1-0 lead.
 
The singles matches were a battle between the Rainbow Wahine and the Titans with four of the six matches going to three sets.
 
Hawai'i took a brief, 2-1 lead after UH's Honolkova came back from a set down to defeat Cal State Fullerton's Duffy, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to tie the match score at 1-1. UH's No.6 Masuda followed with a straight-set win over Nikitash, 6-4, 6-2 to give the 'Bows the lead.
 
Cal State Fullerton then reeled off the next three win to clinch the match, 4-2. On the No. 1 court, CSF's Usereau came back after dropping the first set to defeat UH's Knezkova in three, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to even the match at 2-2. The Titans see-sawed into the lead with No. 4 Yu holding off UH's Galindo in a second-set tie breaker, 6-2, 7-6 and then clinched the match with another come-from-behind win as Gevorgy Milene knocked off Joëlle Lanz at No. 5, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
 
The loss is just the second time since re-joining the Big West in 2013 that the Rainbow Wahine lost their first match in the tournament. It marked the final match for Rainbow Wahine seniors Anna Kern and Kaitlyn Ralar.

2024 Big West Championships
#6 Cal State Fullerton 4, #3 Hawai'i 2
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Barnes Tennis Center - San Diego, Calif.

Doubles Results: Order of Finish - 1, 3, 2
1. Nikola Homolkova/Ana Vilcek (UH) def. Sien Myoung/Josie Userau (CSF), 6-2
2. Natalie Duffy/Mariia Nikitash (CSF) def. Nelly Knezkova, Sheena Masuda (UH), 7-5
3. Milena Gevorgyan/Seha Yu (CSF) def. Hannah Galindo/Anna Kern (UH), 6-3

Singles Results: Order of Finish - 3, 6, 1, 4, 5
1. Josie Usereau (CSF) def. Nelly Knezkova (UH), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
2. Sien Myoung (CSF) vs. Ana Vilcek (UH), 6-4, 1-6, 4-3 (unfinished)
3. Nikola Homolkova (UH) def. Natalie Duffy (CSF) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
4. Seha Yu (CSF) def. Hannah Galindo (UH), 6-2, 7-6
5. Milena Gevorgyan (CSF) def. Joëlle Lanz (UH), 6-2, 2-6, 3-6
6. Sheena Masuda (UH) def. Mariia Nikitash (CSF), 6-4, 6-2