IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine won an exciting 4-3 battle with Louisiana Lafayette Tuesday morning at Anteater Tennis Stadium.

The teams played through singles first and came out knotted, 3-3. It came down to the doubles point where UCI was able to win at Nos. 1 and 2 to earn the one-point victory.

The Anteaters improve to 11-3 on the season while the Ragin' Cajuns fall to 5-6 overall.

SINGLES
> Jessica Tsukiji led 6-3 and got the 'Eaters their first point after her opponent retired due to injury
> Stephanie Nguyen followed with a 6-4, 6-3 straight-set victory at the top spot over ULL's Florence Picaut to put UCI up 2-0
> The Ragin' Cajuns tied the game, 2-2, after winning on courts 4 and 2, respectively
> Louisiana would take a 3-2 lead after Al Noa Fabre defeated Arianna Tilbury at No. 5, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
> Jacqueline Tsodikova kept UCI in the match after winning a tough battle at No. 6 over Morgan Forshag, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5

DOUBLES
> With the game tied, 3-3, UCI used wins at Nos. 1 and 2 to seal the doubles point and win the match
> Stephanie Hazell and Amiri earned a 6-2 win at the top spot
> Danielle Garrido and Tsukiji battled with Garcia/Radovanovic and came out on top, 7-6 (7-5), clinching the point and the match for the Anteaters

UP NEXT
> UCI continues its home stretch with a game against Mesa College (Ariz.) Friday, March 8 at 9 a.m.

QUOTABLES
Head Coach Elizabeth Ferris
"Wow!! One of the best college matches I've been a part of. It started out with Jessica playing well and winning but unfortunately through an injury retirement. We wish the best to Marina and hope she's ok. Thanks to our training room team for helping out with that. Flora played her heart out and gave herself many chances that she'll look to capitalize on in her next match. Nguyen settled into the match early and had a solid game plan that she executed with no fear. Arianna started out hot winning the first set but her opponent wouldn't back off and played big. We were down 2-3 with one singles match left. We knew we had to win that to give ourselves a chance to play doubles. Jackie played on center court with everybody watching and cheering. She played with the fate of the match on her shoulders. Her opponent was relentless. She ran every ball down and Jackie really had to beat her and win every single point. She played phenomenally. She came back from behind numerous times; just when you thought she might be down and out she came roaring back. Her style today epitomized what a college tennis player should aspire to be. She mixed up her game when she needed to, she anticipated well, she executed the strategy that Coach Perez gave her. She was a wall from the baseline. Both players wanted it, both teams were cheering their player on. Both players deserved the win. I couldn't be more proud of Jackie and the team for how they fought so hard in singles. The team and crowd was high from winning that singles match but we still had work to do. Our doubles teams did a great job of honoring Jackie's effort. Number 1 doubles is turning into a fantastic team. They're both playing aggressively as a team. Numbers 2 and 3 were neck and neck for most of it. Our players were just a little more disciplined and it was enough to take the point and the match. Rain delays, starting with singles, coming from behind in many matches and still having the belief we could win was a huge turning point for this team. We showed that we can handle anything thrown at us. This was a great confidence booster. This was an exciting day for both the men's and women's teams to win today."

Stephanie Nguyen Quote
"I am so proud of everyone on this team. The intensity, energy and spirit was at an all-time high today. Everyone fought their hardest and put their heart into every single match. It shows how close we are as a team and how much we care about this team. Today was such a great day and is a great boost in our confidence for the matches to come."

Flora Amiri quote
"Although I didn't play my best today, I made sure to give 110%. Overall our team fought hard, and that's what got us the victory today. 'No one let the demons in today!' So proud of everyone!"

Danielle Garrido quote
"So proud of this team today. We were able to turn around some matches under pressure and stay mentally tough. Jess and I knew there was a lot riding on our match, so we made sure to be mindful of what shots to use and which plays to execute. It was a team effort and I'm glad we were able to come out on top after a long day of great tennis!"

Quote from Jessica Tsukiji
"Our opponents today were really tough and Danielle and I had to give everything we had into every single point. Our teammates played a huge part in helping us pull out the win with their crazy enthusiasm and support. Our singles also did an amazing job of pulling out some really close matches."

Quote from Jacqueline Tsodikova
"Wow! I am just so proud of this team. I wouldn't have been able to pull it out if it wasn't for the constant positivity from my teammates. This was one of the toughest and longest matches, but also the most exciting. Overall it was a team effort, I can't wait for the rest of the season!"

UC Irvine 4, Louisiana 3
Singles
1. Stephanie Nguyen (UCI) def. Florence Picaut (ULL), 6-4, 6-3
2. Hoda Habib (ULL) def. Flora Amiri (UCI), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)
3. Jessica Tsukiji (UCI) def. Marina Garcia (ULL), 6-2, retired
4. Dana Radovanovic (ULL) def. Alyssia Fossorier (UCI), 6-2, 6-1
5. Al Noa Fabre (ULL) def. Arianna Tilbury (UCI), 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
6. Jacqueline Tsodikova (UCI) def. Morgan Forshag (ULL), 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5
Order: 3,1,4,2,5,6

Doubles
1. Stephanie Hazell/Amiri (UCI) def. Habib/Fabre (ULL), 6-2
2. Danielle Garrido/Tsukiji (UCI) def. Garcia/Radovanovic (ULL), 7-6 (7-5)
3. Tilbury/ Fossorier (UCI) vs. Picaut/Harvey (ULL), 6-6 (4-4), UF
Order: 1,2,3