SURPRISE, Ariz. - The Point Loma women's tennis team fell 5-2 to Cal State LA in the 4/5 match in the quarterfinals of the PacWest Tennis Championships on Thursday, Apr. 14.
 
The Sea Lions fell in a hole early as the Golden Eagles won doubles matches on courts 1 and 3 to take a 2-1 lead. PLNU was right in the No. 1 doubles match but CSULA closed out with the 8-6 win.
 
Point Loma's backs were against the wall going to singles. They needed to win four of six matches before CSULA would win three, and it didn't happen. The Golden Eagles got a quick point at No. 3s before PLNU's Michelle Torres responded at No. 6s with a straight set victory, 6-1 and 6-0.
 
CSULA's Nozomi Matsuoka finally was able to defeat Point Loma's Nikki Newell on her third attempt of the season. Newell had won the two matches during the regular season, but Matsuoka was able to come through at the PacWest Championships to win the battle of the No. 1 singles players, 6-2 and 6-2. The decisive fifth point came on court 4 as Isabella Lopez was able to outlast PLNU's Nicole Camaratta in three sets, 6-1, 4-6 and 6-4.
 
With the loss PLNU dropped below .500 to 10-11 on the season. Cal State LA improved to 12-8 with the win.
 
The loss also sends the Sea Lions into the consolation portion of the bracket. They will face No. 8 seeded Concordia (CA) on Friday, Apr. 15 at 9:00 a.m.  

#35 Cal State L.A. 5, #37 Point Loma 2
Apr 14, 2016 at Surprise, Ariz. (Surprise Tennis & Racquet Center) 
Singles competition
1. #37 Nozomi Matsuoka (CSULA-WT) def. #23 Newell, Nikki (PLNU-WT) 6-2, 6-2
2. Elizaveta Sokolova (CSULA-WT) vs. von Koch, Regina (PLNU-WT) 7-5, 1-6, unfinished
3. Kayleigh Hall (CSULA-WT) def. Ramage, Hillary (PLNU-WT) 6-0, 6-0
4. Iris Raileanu (CSULA-WT) vs. Weissmann, Jen (PLNU-WT) 7-6 (7-4), 5-1, unfinished
5. Isabella Lopez (CSULA-WT) def. Camaratta, Nicole (PLNU-WT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
6. Torres, Michelle (PLNU-WT) def. Pyper Brown (CSULA-WT) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Kayleigh Hall/Nozomi Matsuoka (CSULA-WT) def. von Koch, Regina/Newell, Nikki (PLNU-WT) 8-6
2. Ramage, Hillary/Torres, Michelle (PLNU-WT) def. Isabella Lopez/Iris Raileanu (CSULA-WT) 8-5
3. Pyper Brown/Elizaveta Sokolova (CSULA-WT) def. Camaratta, Nicole/Weissmann, Jen (PLNU-WT) 8-2

Match Notes
Point Loma 10-11; National ranking #37; Regional ranking #8
Cal State L.A. 12-8; National ranking #35; Regional ranking #7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (3,6,1,5)