IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's tennis team dropped a seesaw battle to Eastern Washington, 5-2, Sunday afternoon at Anteater Tennis Stadium.
 
The 'Eaters, who hadn't played a match since March 14, came out flat in doubles before bouncing back to take a 2-1 lead early on in singles. UCI had its chances on the remaining courts but ultimately came up short in the three-hour affair.
 
UCI is now 12-5 overall after suffering its second consecutive loss for the first time all year. The Eagles improved to 8-7.
 
DOUBLES
> UC Irvine looked a little rusty to start the match, dropping a pair of 6-0 decisions in doubles
> Flora Amiri/Stephanie Hazell fell to Rylee Braeden/Madeline Lamoreaux at the top of the lineup
> EWU then clinched the point with Zoey Nelson/Louise Waite defeating Stephanie Nguyen/Jessica Tsukiji at No. 2
> Alyssia Fossorier and Arianna Tilbury saw their match go unfinished on court three
 
SINGLES
> Flora Amiri quickly pulled the Anteaters even as she dispatched Nelson, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 3
> Jessica Tsukiji then gave the home team a 2-1 lead with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory at the fourth spot
> It was Tsukiji's sixth-straight win as the freshman has not lost a singles match since Feb. 15
> Eastern Washington then came back with Mansouri defeating Tilbury, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 6
> On court one, Hazell fought back from a 6-5 deficit in the first set to force a tiebreaker, but the Eagles' Mansouri was able to hold on
> Mansouri kept the momentum to finish off the 7-6 (4), 6-0 win
> EWU would clinch the match at No. 2 with Nguyen dropping a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 decision
> Fossorier also suffered a tough 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3 setback at the fifth position
 
UP NEXT
> UC Irvine will make the trek to Provo, Utah, for an 11 a.m. (PDT) showdown at BYU on Thursday, March 28.


Eastern Washington 5, UC Irvine 2
Singles
1. Madeline Lamoreaux (EWU) def. Stephanie Hazell (UCI), 7-6 (4), 6-0
2. Rylee Braeden (EWU) def. Stephanie Nguyen (UCI), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Flora Amiri (UCI) def. Zoey Nelson (EWU), 6-0, 6-2
4. Jessica Tsukiji (UCI) def. Louise Waite (EWU), 6-2, 6-2
5. Faye Worrall (EWU) def. Alyssia Fossorier (UCI), 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3
6. Yasmin Mansouri (EWU) def. Arianna Tilbury (UCI), 6-2, 6-2

Order of finish: 3, 4, 6, 1, 2*, 5

Doubles
1. Braeden/Lamoreaux (EWU) def. Amiri/ Hazell (UCI), 6-0
2. Nelson/Waite (EWU) def. Nguyen/Tsukiji (UCI), 6-0
3. Fossorier/Tilbury (UCI) vs. Mansouri/Worrall (EWU), 2-3 unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 2