Oct. 18, 2012
After competing in the Cal State Fullerton Tournament earlier this month, the UC Riverside women’s tennis team traveled to the University of San Diego this past weekend to take part in their second and final tournament of the fall portion of the season. Riverside participated in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Regional Championship and the team fared pretty decently on the first day of competition.
In her first match, Jamie Raney was able to defeat UC Davis’ Cara Brown in the first round of singles play. Raney won the match with scores of 7-6, 4-6 and 6-3 to advance to the second round.
The following round of 64 proved to be a bit more challenging for Raney as she took on UCLA Bruin’s Pamela Montez. Montez went on to win the match pretty decisively, defeating UCR’s Raney with dominant scores of 6-2, 6-3.
In other first-day action, Riverside’s Natalie McKay was unable to get past UC Irvine’s Sarah Gong. McKay was edged out by a close score of 7-6 in the first set, but was later defeated handily by a score of 6-0 in the second to lose the match.
In doubles action, the UC Riverside duo of McKay and Raney teamed up to face off against San Diego State University’s Isabelle Hoorn and Michela Casanova. But the Highlanders were unable to get past them, as they fell to San Diego State’s duo by a score of 8-3.
Oct. 19, 2012
Tournament action continued the very next day for the Highlanders.
In the consolidation match, Natalie McKay battled against Pepperdine’s Abigail Phillips. McKay lost the first set by a score of 6-1, but rallied back in the second set, winning it 6-4 to tie things up.
In the tiebreak, the two women played outstandingly and competitively, but it was Pepperdine’s Abigail Phillips who came out victorious in the end. McKay lost the final set and the match by a score of 10-7.
With McKay’s loss, the UC Riverside women’s tennis team concluded its fall portion of the season.
Relatively speaking, the women’s tennis team fared a bit better in last year’s Regional Championship. A year ago, the team managed to earn a couple of victories in singles and doubles. This year, the team’s sole victory came from Raney’s win in singles action.
The team will resume its second part of the season on Jan. 19, facing off against San Diego State.
Singles Round of 128
Jamie Raney (UCR) def. Cara Brown (USD) 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
Sarah Gong (UCI) def. Natalie McKay (UCR) 7-6, 6-0
Singles Round of 64
Pamela Montez (UCLA) def. Jamie Raney (UCR) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles Round of 64
Casanova/Hoorn (SDSU) def. McKay/Raney, J. (UCR) 8-3
Consolation Singles – Second Round
Abigail Phillips (Pepperdine) def. Natalie McKay (UCR) 6-1, 4-6, (10-7)
