Box Score HONOLULU – UC Irvine fought down to the wire, but fell to Hawai'i, 4-3, in a three-and-a-half-hour match.

The Anteaters and the Rainbow Wahine played the double portion clinch and played out all the singles matches.
 
UCI worked quick in doubles action taking the 6-1 victory at both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots.
 
Hawaii took the doubles losses and turned them into wins in the first two singles wins at No. 1 and No. 2 to claim the 2-1 advantage in the match.
 
Larissa Teramura had the first UC Irvine singles win at No. 6 against Hannah Galindo (6-3, 6-4) to even the game back up 2-2. Teramura battled through a 4-0 deficit to win six games in a row.
 
After dropping the No. 3 singles, Amanda Perez brought the intensity as she raced to a 5-0 lead in her third set and come out with the 6-3 win to knot the match 3-all.
 
The match came down to the match on the fifth court where Hawai'i was able to claim the 4-3 victory after three sets.
 
"We played doubles like I knew we could," remarked head coach Elizabeth Ferris Smith. "Carolyna and Emily had many games down 30-40 but they stayed coachable and trusted their shots to close out those difficult games. All four courts played with total belief."
 
"Hawai'i's top three singles played big with tons of poise. I thought we did well to challenge them, at times we even looked like we'd close out some sets. Three through six was a total battle. It was great the match came down to those courts. Haily, Larissa, and Amanda are as tough as nails. They fight to the end, always. Larissa did a great job of closing out the second set after being down 0-4. This match shows how much she wants it. Larissa has so many X factors. Amanda started a little slow but built-up belief. She had a very small window to close out the second and she wasted no time in doing it. Haily looked to be able to close her match out in two sets. Credit to her opponent for hanging in there. Lastly, it was really awesome to have such a great crowd supporting us! To see so many friendly faces cheering us on gave us a little extra belief."

SINGLES DRAWS
Ana Vilcek (UH) defeated Jenna Schlatter (UCI), 6-4, 6-1
Nelly Knezkova (UH) defeated Kayla Meraz (UCI), 6-4, 6-3
Nikola Homolkova (UH) defeated Asha Gidwani (UCI), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2
Amanda Perez (UCI) defeated Sheena Masuda (UH), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Joelle Lanz (UH) defeated Haily Huynh (UCI), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Larissa Teramura (UCI) defeated Hannah Galindo (UH), 6-3, 6-4

DOUBLES
Carolyna Fowler/Emily Fowler (UCI) defeated Vilcek/Knezkova (UH), 6-1
Meraz/Schlatter (UCI) defeated Homolkova/Masuda (UH), 6-1
Gidwani/Perez (UCI) vs. Galindo/Anna Kern (UH), 5-2 unfinished
 
EXHIBITION
Huynh/Teramura (UCI) def. Lanz/Isabella Pampulov (UH), 6-1
Isabella Pampulov (UH) def. C. Fowler, 7-5 (one set singles)
E. Fowler (UCI) def. Pampulov (UH), 6-4 (one set singles)

WHAT THE PLAYERS HAD TO SAY:
"Going into our first conference match against UH was a great way to show what's to come for the rest of the season! The whole team brought great energy from California to kick off doubles. Asha and I saw our doubles play come together, being dominant at the net from the first point. After taking the doubles point, we saw that energy shift in our individual matches. Even though it was tough for me to adjust in my singles match at the beginning, I'm proud of myself for fighting and coming back to win the match in three sets. Looking forward to carrying this energy with the team in our next matches! Rip 'em 'Eaters!!" –Amanda Perez
 
"I think that we started today's match off with energy that surprised our opponents. To me, the fire we all had in doubles made the difference between winning or losing the doubles point. I'm very proud of how Emily stayed confident in my game as well as her own game too. The energy we put on court helped us serve big and stay on top the net. Being this close to beating last year's conference champions is just the beginning to our 2024 season. Go 'Eaters!" –Carolyna Fowler
 
"I am very proud of the way Carolyna and I have trained leading up to this match! We had great energy and believed in our serves, returns, and net game. On every court we were supporting one another and kept high energy throughout the day. Singles matches were great as well. I thought that Larissa and Amanda in particular were very disciplined to their respected game styles and patterns. Everyone fought with high intensity, and we are very excited to continue our season and keep the positive momentum going!" –Emily Fowler
 
"Today's match was a battle to the end! We started off strong in doubles and carried that great energy into singles. In my match, I stayed true to myself and was able to pull off the win. I really saw grit and determination from everyone today, and I'm proud of our result, even if we fell a little short in the end. Go 'Eaters!" –Larissa Teramura
 
UP NEXT
UCI hosts UC Riverside on Thursday Feb. 8 for the Anteaters home opener.