Villanova (2-4)
at UC Irvine (9-3)
Date: Friday, March 1
Time: 2:30 p.m. (PST)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium, Irvine, Calif.

Hope International (2-4)
at UC Irvine (9-3)
Date: Saturday, March 2
Time: 11 a.m. (PST)
Location: Anteater Tennis Stadium, Irvine, Calif.

Notes (PDF)

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's tennis team returns home this weekend as they will be taking on Villanova and Hope International to start the month of March. The 'Eaters will square off with Villanova (March 1) at 2:30 PM on Friday and will take on Hope International (March 2) at 2:00 PM Saturday.
 
STORYLINES
• UC Irvine has an overall record of 9-3 with a conference record of 2-1.
• With 13 matches still to play, UCI has already bettered or matched its win total from each of the last three years.
• As a team, the Anteaters are over .700 in singles (50-19) and doubles (25-10).
• Junior Arianna Tilbury leads the team in singles (7-1) and doubles (8-1) wins.
• Gillian Parker is yet to lose a singles match with a 5-0 record.
• Freshman duo Alyssia Fossorier and Dana Mackensen remain undefeated as a doubles team with a 4-0 record.
• Flora Amiri and Stephanie Hazell are a combined 4-0 at No. 1 singles.
• The 'Eaters have a .750 singles win percentage at No. 3 and No. 4  where they are 18-6.
• Last year, the 'Eaters recorded a 3.25 cumulative GPA to earn ITA All-Academic Team honors.
• Five players were also named ITA Scholar-Athletes.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine has won two straight Big West Conference match-ups dominating UC Riverside with a final score of 5-2 and defeating UC Davis 4-3 in a match that was decided by the last court. It was a back-and-forth battle with UC Davis as both teams refused to let up. The match came down to Arianna Tilbury facing off with UCD's Jessica Walker at No. 6, as the match was tied 3-3. Tilbury was able to maintain focus and come away with the big victory, giving UC Irvine its first win against UC Davis since 2016.
 
The 'Eaters then went on the road to take on UC Riverside. They didn't get off to a good start, dropping the doubles point, but UCI bounced back by winning at No. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 in singles. Stephanie Nguyen got her first victory of the season at No. 1 and Flora Amiri clinched the match at No. 2.
 
THE OPPONENTS
Villanova is coming off a two game losing streak and is yet to win a match on a Friday. The Wildcats are 2-4 on the season with both of their victories coming on the road. Hope International is also 2-4 with one win on the road. Fellow Big West member UC Riverside previously swept the Royals early on in the season.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
After being on the road for the entirety of the fall campaign, UC Irvine will host 10 matches in the spring. The 'Eaters will be at Anteater Tennis Stadium for eight of their first nine contests in 2019.
 
OCTOBER SUCCESS
In their nine fall dual matches, the Anteaters combined to go 41-10 in singles and 21-5 in doubles. Flora Amiri, Danielle Garrido and Gillian Parker tied for the team lead with five singles wins each. Arianna Tilbury saw the most success in doubles with six victories, playing at the top two spots.
 
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
UC Irvine returns seven players and welcomes six newcomers who are all freshmen. Freshman Alyssia Fossorier won the singles state title in Hawai'i and was the Punahou School Athlete of the Year.
 
Freshmen Shreya Pavani (Irvine HS), Megan Mansonhing (Northwood HS) and Dana Mackensen (Dana Hills HS) are all local tennis stars. Dasee Carter and Jessica Tsukiji are both highly notable incoming freshmen who hail from Northern California.
 
Twelve of the 13 Anteaters on the roster are California products, while Fossorier is a native of Hawai'i.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine remains in the friendly confines of Anteater Tennis Stadium next week, hosting Louisiana on Tuesday, March 5, and Mesa College on Friday, March 8.