UPCOMING MATCHES
Match Notes
UC Irvine Anteaters at No. 49 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Sunday April 3, 2016/2:00 p.m.
Santa Barbara, Calif.
UC Irvine Anteaters at No. 68 Loyola Marymount Lions
Monday April 4, 2016/1:00 p.m.
LMU Tennis Center
Los Angeles, Calif.
Streaking
UC Irvine (13-5, 2-0) currently holds a seven-game win streak which includes wins in both of their Big West Conference games.
The Anteaters were on the road last week in Hawai'i (1-13, 0-2) to take on the Rainbow Warriors and to match up with UC Riverside (10-10, 0-1) while the Highlanders were on the island.
UCI took the first match of the day against Hawai'I, 6-1. The 'Eaters earned the doubles point and then took five flights in singles to secure the match.
Senior Tyler Pham got things started in singles at the No. 4 spot taking the match 6-1, 6-0. Pham was also first-off in singles against UC Riverside, 6-1, 6-1, and holds a six-match win-streak in singles.
UC Irvine turned right back around to compete against UC Riverside that afternoon after defeating Hawai'i.
The 'Eaters built on their momentum clinching the doubles point as duo Caryl Hernandez and Luca Marquard won 6-1 at flight three followed by No. 1 pair Jonathan Hammel and Pham with a 6-2 win over their Highlander opponents.
Pham was first to win at No. 4 singles, but UCR answered back with a win at the No. 6 spot earning the Highlanders a point.
The Anteaters came back to win three singles spots in straight sets clinching the fourth point as No. 78 Sebastian Heim took the win at flight one (6-2, 6-1), Nico Mertens defeated Sean Yun (6-4, 6-1) at the No. 2 spot and Marquard earned a (6-3, 7-5) victory at flight three.
UC Riverside took a win at flight five for a second point as UC Irvine defeated the Highlanders 4-2.
Athlete of the Week
Following his impressive performance at singles last week and a win with Hammel at doubles, Pham earned Big West Athlete of the Week honors. This was the third time the senior from San Diego, Calif. has been awarded the recognition. Pham only lost a combined total of three games in the matches against Hawai'i and UC Riverside.
On the Road Again
The 'Eaters will head up to No. 49 UC Santa Barbara on Sunday (April 3) at 2:00 p.m. for their third conference match and the Gauchos' second Big West match up of the season.
UCSB (10-6) worked their way up two spots from No. 51 to 49 in the ITA national rankings this week.
The Gauchos boast a nationally ranked duo pair in No. 34 Nathan Eshmade and Miles Seemann who are 10-4 at the No. 1 doubles spot. Their last doubles loss came at the hands of No. 37 Louisville pair Alex Gornet and Jeffrey Brown back in January.
UCI split wins with UCSB last season with the 'Eaters' loss coming in the Big West Finals match as the Gauchos won the Big West title.
UC Irvine moves down the road for a contest with No. 68 Loyola Marymount on Monday (April 4) at 1:00 p.m.
LMU (7-6) currently hold their highest spot in the program's history in the ITA National Rankings. They climbed on to the list from a non-ranking this season to No. 68. They were previously ranked last season at No. 75 on April 14, 2015 and came in at No. 75 in 2004 which marked the first time in the rankings.
The Lions' recent schedule has included a string of ranked teams including upsets over No. 51 UC Santa Barbara, 4-3, and No. 58 Utah State, 4-3.
This will be UCI and LMU's first dual meeting since the 2014 season when the Anteaters fell to the Lions, 5-2.
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