INDIAN WELLS, Calif. --- UC Irvine extended its 2015 season as long as it could reaching the final set of the final match, but could not overcome an early deficit falling, 4-3, to third-seeded UC Santa Barbara Saturday morning at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
The Gauchos (16-8, 6-2) shocked the 'Eaters early sweeping them in doubles, something that had not been done to UCI (15-9, 6-2) all season. UCSB would take the 1-0 lead into the singles portion.
Singles play did not go the 'Eaters' way to start as they dropped four opening sets and quickly fell down, 2-0, after a sweep of Andrea Duva at No. 6 singles.
Sarah Gong would stem the tide and earn a point back with a sweep at No. 2 singles, but Stacy Yam stretched the lead back to 3-1, Gauchos, with a sweep at No. 5 singles.
Trusty Kat Facey earned a sweep at No. 1 singles to climb back within one, 3-2, and sparked her teammates as Arisha Ladhani and Ali Facey each arose from an opening-set loss to force a third set.
Ladhani completed her comeback even when she was down 4-3 in the set to score a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win to tie the match at 3-3.
Senior Ali Facey represented the deciding match, and fought all the way through the match, but fell to end the match, 4-3, and the season for the Anteaters.
The loss ends UC Irvine's run of reaching the Big West Final in its last seven seasons with a record of 15-9.
(3) UC SANTA BARBARA 4, (2) UC IRVINE
UCI (15-9, 6-2) | UCSB (16-8, 6-2)
April 25, 2015
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Doubles
1 Baker/Ortiz Candido (UCSB) def. Facey/Facey (UCI) – 8-4
2 Gong/Watrous (UCI) vs. Da Silva/Garcia (UCSB) – 5-4 (unf.)
3 Gilbertson/Yam (UCSB) def. Duva/Ladhani (UCI) – 8-3
UC Santa Barbara wins the doubles point
Singles
1 Kat Facey (UCI) def. Natalie Da Silveira (UCSB) – 6-3, 6-4
2 Sarah Gong (UCI) def. Jaimee Gilbertson (UCSB) – 6-3, 6-2
3 Arisha Ladhani (UCI) def. Melissa Baker (UCSB) – 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
4 April Scatliffe (UCSB) def. Ali Facey (UCI) – 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
5 Stacy Yam (UCSB) def. Mazy Watrous (UCI) – 6-4, 6-1
6 Luisa Ortiz Candido (UCSB) def. Andrea Duva (UCI) – 6-0, 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 1 | Singles – 6, 2, 5, 1, 3, 4
_________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mailathletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and by downloading the UCI Front Row app, available free to all Anteater fans through iTunes and Google Play, to view schedules, results, and up-to-the-minute news.
