IRVINE, Calif. - For the first time since 2014, the Point Loma women's tennis team took down an NCAA Division I opponent. It took a complete team effort on Saturday (Feb. 3), but the Sea Lions stepped up on the road to defeat UC Irvine, 4-3.
 
Right out of the gate, Point Loma seized the momentum by winning the first two doubles matches to earn the crucial doubles point (in NCAA DI doubles is just one point. Team that wins two of three doubles gets the point). PLNU got a 7-5 win from Nikki Newell and Carolina Cuevas at the No. 1 doubles spot, and a 6-4 win from Michelle Torres and Nicole Camaratta at No. 3s.
 
The match turned to singles with PLNU just needing the split, but they did not sit back and hope that would happen. UCI won at No. 6 singles to tie the match, but PLNU quickly responded with a straight set win at No. 5 from Torres (6-4, 6-2). Newell battled through an opening set loss to win 1-6, 7-5 and 6-5 and pull PLNU within one point of the win. It was Ellie Gamble that completed the victory. After playing sporadically for Point Loma as its No. 6 player last season, Gamble battled her way to the No. 4 spot to open this season, and she proved she deserved it with her performance Saturday. She won both her sets in tiebreakers to deliver the clinching fourth point for the Sea Lions.
 
Team Records
Point Loma 1-0, UC Irvine 1-3
 
Wheeler's Words
On the season opener: "We were excited for this match. It is always fun playing up a division, but it is also always tough playing on the road."
 
On doubles: "The women did a great job of bringing intensity, focus and energy into the match. Everyone played very aggressive and all three matches were close, but fortunately we pulled out two of the three."
 
On singles: "We needed three matches, and we came out and took the three we needed."
 
On what he learned about his team: "I really liked the way they fought today and its mental toughness. We were really close to winning this match 6-1. Everyone continued to fight till the end, and I was really proud of that. It can be hard to keep fighting when a match is not on the line, and they kept their intensity up until the end. They did a great job persevering today." 
 
News and Notes
> Gamble played just one match above No. 6 singles last year
> All three doubles teams were new for PLNU
> This is Point Loma's first-ever win over UC Irvine (1-3)
> This was the third straight season the Sea Lions have won their season opener
> Villanova was the last NCAA Division I team PLNU defeated (3/8/14)
 
Up Next
The Sea Lions will be right back on the courts on Monday, Feb. 5 when it travels to take on another NCAA Division I opponent, San Diego State, at 2:30 p.m.
 
Point Loma 4, UC Irvine 3
Singles competition
1. Nikki Newell (PLNU-WT) def. Stephanie Nguyen (UCI) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3
2. Yulin Chen (UCI) def. Carolina Cuevas Bucio (PLNU-WT) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
3. Flora Amiri (UCI) def. Shelby Groeneveld (PLNU-WT) 7-6, 5-7, 10-5
4. Ellie Gamble (PLNU-WT) def. Arianna Tilbury (UCI) 7-6, 7-6
5. Michelle Torres (PLNU-WT) def. Danielle Garrido (UCI) 6-4, 6-2
6. Jacqueline Tsodikova (UCI) def. Nicole Camaratta (PLNU-WT) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Nikki Newell/Carolina Cuevas Bucio (PLNU-WT) def. Stephanie Hazell/Stephanie Nguyen (UCI) 7-5
2. Flora Amiri/Yulin Chen (UCI) def. Ellie Gamble/Shelby Groeneveld (PLNU-WT) 7-5
3. Michelle Torres/Nicole Camartta (PLNU-WT) def. Arianna Tilbury/Danielle Garrido (UCI) 6-4