HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team (2-1) held off CSUN in their Big West opener, 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at the UH Tennis Complex. The Rainbow Wahine jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, but the Matadors battled back with the match ending in a dramatic finish.

UH captured the doubles point to start the match. The No. 2 duo of Sheena Masuda and Peppi Ramstedt pulled away from Victoria Santibañez Luna and Madison Shepperson, 6-2 and then UH's No. 3 pair of Hannah Galindo and Makeilah Nepomuceno edged out Emma Moratalla Sanz and Sofia Dermenjan by a break, 6-4 to pick up the first point.

Hawai'i took their momentum into singles as UH's No. 6 Joelle Lanz swept Madison Shepperson, 6-4, 6-2 and at No. 5 Emma Forgac quickly dispatched CSUN's Sydney Wilson, 6-2, 6-1 for the quick 3-0 lead. The Matadors however then started to rally back with straight-set wins at No. 3 and No. 4.

Both matches left were locked in a three-set battle. On the No. 2 court, CSUN's Victoria Santibañez Luna was leading UH's Peppi Ramstedt in the third set when Santibañez Luna had to retire due to injury, allowing UH to clinch the win. UH's No. 1 Ana Vilcek and Yulia Zhytelna's match saw momentum swing back and forth in the third set, but Vilcek hung tough to hold off Zhytelna for the victory, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Hawai'i has two more matches to round-out their month-long homestand to start the 2025 season. The Rainbow Wahine will take on Saint Mary's (CA) on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 10:00 a.m. HT followed by North Dakota on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11:00 a.m. HT.


Hawaii 5, CSUN 2
UH Tennis Complex - Honolulu, O'ahu
1/25/2025 

Singles competition
1. Ana Vilcek (UH) def. Zhytelna, Yuliia (CSUN) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Peppi Ramstedt (UH) def. Santibanez Luna, Vic (CSUN) 6-1, 4-6, 4-5, retired
3. Ho, Angela (CSUN) def. Nikola Homolkova (UH) 6-3, 6-2
4. Moratalla Sanz, Emma (CSUN) def. Hannah Galindo (UH) 6-3, 7-5
5. Emma Forgac (UH) def. Wilson, Sydney (CSUN) 6-2, 6-1
6. Joelle Lanz (UH) def. Shepperson, Madison (CSUN) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Zhytelna, Yuliia/Ho, Angela (CSUN) def. Ana Vilcek/Nikola Homolkova (UH) 6-4
2. Sheena Masuda/Peppi Ramstedt (UH) def. Santibanez Luna, Vic/Shepperson, Madison (CSUN) 6-2
3. Hannah Galindo/Makeilah Nepomuceno (UH) def. Moratalla Sanz, Emma/Dermenjyan, Sofia (CSUN) 6-4

Match Notes:
CSUN 1-1
Hawaii 2-1
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,3,4,2,1)