SURPRISE, Ariz. - The No. 25 Point Loma Women's tennis team dropped the fifth place match at the Pacific West Conference Championships to Sonoma State, 5-3, on Saturday, Apr. 19.
 
That critical doubles point always comes into play in big matches likes this. PLNU and SSU each won one match in doubles and it came to No. 3s to see who would take the lead into singles. The match went into extra points but Sonoma State's Sheena Johnson and Karlee Budge found a way to edge Preethika Venugopal and Kaitlyn Murray, 9-7.
 
Trailing 2-1 Point Loma knew it would need to take four of the six singles matches. It earned points at No. 3 with Hope Penner (6-2 and 6-2) and No. 4 with Venugopal (6-4 and 6-2) but SSU was able to get win three sets and capture the decisive fifth point to win the match.
 
The Sea Lions finish in sixth place in the PacWest with a 13-13 record on the season. Sonoma State ends its year at 17-6.

Sonoma State 5, #25 Point Loma 3
Singles competition
1. #8 Sara Celma (SSU) def. Adair, Maika (PLNU-WT) 6-3, 6-0
2. Leire Martinez (SSU) def. von Koch, Regina (PLNU-WT) 6-4, 6-1
3. Penner, Hope (PLNU-WT) def. Kaitlyn Haithcock (SSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Venugopal, Preethika (PLNU-WT) def. Sheena Johnson (SSU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Karlee Budge (SSU) def. Ramage, Hillary (PLNU-WT) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
6. Mountain, Kirsty (PLNU-WT) vs. Lauren Ha (SSU) 6-0, 2-6, 3-2, unfinished

Doubles competition
1. Sara Celma/Kaitlyn Haithcock (SSU) def. Penner, Hope/von Koch, Regina (PLNU-WT) 8-2
2. Adair, Maika/Ramage, Hillary (PLNU-WT) def. Lauren Ha/Leire Martinez (SSU) 8-1
3. Sheena Johnson/Karlee Budge (SSU) def. Venugopal, Preethika/Murray, Kaitlyn (PLNU-WT) 9-7

Match Notes
Sonoma State 17-6; Regional ranking #9
Point Loma 13-13; National ranking #25; Regional ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,2,3,4,5)
Pacific West Conference Championship Tournament
Point Loma No. 5 seed
Sonoma State No. 6 seed