Sunday, April 14
Santa Barbara, Calif.
1:00 PM
UC Irvine
at
#49 UC Santa Barbara
UCI Hits the Road for Big West Matches at UCSB, UCSD
April 13, 2024 | Men's Tennis
UC Irvine (13-5, 3-0 Big West) at
No. 49 UC Santa Barbara (10-6, 2-0 Big West)
Date: Sunday, April 14
Time: 1 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Arnhold Tennis Center - Santa Barbara, Calif.
UC Irvine (13-5, 3-0 Big West) at
UC San Diego (8-14, 1-1 Big West)
Date: Tuesday, April 16
Time: 1 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Northview Tennis Courts - La Jolla, Calif.
Match Notes
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's tennis hits the road for two Big West matches this week, starting at 49th-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, April 14. The Anteaters will then make their way to UC San Diego on Tuesday, April 16. First serve for both matches is 1 p.m.
QUICK HITS
• The 'Eaters (3-0) and Gauchos (2-0) are the only unbeaten teams in Big West play.
• In his UCI career, junior Noah Zamora owns a 14-1 singles record against conference opponents.
• This season he is 2-0 in Big West matches and owns a team-best 11 dual-match singles wins.
• Rithvik Krishna, Andy Nguyen and Lawee Sherif are tied for second with nine victories apiece.
• As a team, the Anteaters have been impressive in singles where they are 69-27 (.719).
• UC Irvine won the Big West tournament in 2022 and secured a share of the Big West regular-season title in 2023.
• The 'Eaters have seven returning letterwinners including all four of their All-Big West selections from a year ago.
• In their Division I history, the Anteaters have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
• They have placed first in the Big West standings 17 times and won four Big West Tournament titles.
• UC Irvine has been named an ITA All-Academic Team (minimum 3.2 team GPA) in each of the last seven years.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Freshman Andy Nguyen received the Anteaters' second Big West Player of the Week honor on March 27. Nguyen was recognized after helping UC Irvine to a 4-3 victory over Gonzaga. He gave the Anteaters their first lead of the match as his 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Pablo Gomez Galvan at No. 4 singles put UCI up 2-1. Nguyen is the only freshman in the conference to claim the weekly award this season. On March 13, junior Noah Zamora secured UC Irvine's first Big West Player of the Week nod after going 2-0 in singles against No. 31 UCLA and Weber State. He earned the Anteaters' lone point in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Spencer Johnson on court three.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine rolled past UC Riverside, 4-0, Monday (April 8) at Anteater Tennis Stadium. UCI made some changes to its doubles lineup, debuting new pairs on all three courts, and it paid off. Rahul Dhokia and Matthew Sah made a seamless transition as they blanked Lucas Mszyca/Lucas Ibarrondo Suarez, 6-0, at No. 3. Andy Nguyen and Brandon Park brought the energy on court two where they clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory over Ryan Huynh/Aarav Sane. The 'Eaters kept the momentum in singles, starting at the top of the lineup where Enrique Luque Rico dispatched Joshua Roth, 6-1, 6-0. Just seconds later, Zamora closed out a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Sane at No. 3. Dhokia then took down Huynh, 6-2, 6-0 for the match-clinching point at No. 5.
SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara (10-6, 2-0 Big West), which was 49th in the latest ITA Rankings, took down UC San Diego, 4-1, in its most recent outing on Thursday, April 11. No. 56 Pablo Masjuan is 9-4 at No. 1 singles, while Gianluca Brunkow owns a team-best 12 victories with 11 of those coming at No. 2. Brunkow/Masjuan have also teamed up in doubles where they are 8-2 at the top of the lineup. The UCSB duo is ranked 38th in the nation.
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
UC San Diego (8-14, 1-1 Big West) saw its season-long five-match win streak come to an end with a 4-1 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, April 11. Diogo Tinoco and Zach Pellouchoud are tied for the team lead with nine singles victories each. Pellouchoud and Pelayo Rodriguez also make up the Tritons' No. 1 doubles pair as they have seven wins, including six at the top of the lineup.
BIG WEST DOMINANCE
Noah Zamora owns a 14-1 record against Big West opponents. He is unbeaten in his last 18 outings against conference foes (including postseason) where he is 13-0 with five matches that went unfinished. The only Big West loss of his two-plus year career came against Cal Poly on April 3, 2022. Zamora is a two-time all-conference selection in both singles and doubles, and was named the 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year. In his three seasons at UCI, the San Diego native is 35-12 (.745) in dual-match singles.
FROM THE TOP
Graduate student Enrique Luque Rico transferred to UCI from Pepperdine prior to the 2022-23 campaign and has been a steady force at the top of the singles lineup for the Anteaters since his arrival. This season, he is 8-4 at No. 1 with two of his losses coming against ranked opponents. He recently had a clutch three-set win over Noah Berry to clinch UC Irvine's 4-3 victory over Cal Poly on April 6. Last year, Luque Rico went 10-6 to earn first-team All-Big West honors. Over his collegiate career, he owns a 46-22 dual-match singles record.
TWENTY AND COUNTING
In just his 26th decision in his collegiate dual-match career, junior Rithvik Krishna recorded his 20th win. This year, he has gone 9-4 while playing at Nos. 2-5. Krishna, who is in his third season at UCI, owns an impressive .714 win percentage (25-10). Last year, he earned an All-Big West honorable mention nod.
ON THE RISE
Junior Lawee Sherif has been on a tear this season as he is tied for second on the squad with nine singles victories, while boasting a .750 win percentage (9-3). He has more dual-match singles wins in 2024 than he had in his first two campaigns combined.
YEAR FIVE
UCI has a veteran squad led by fifth-year seniors Ali Amiri and Matthew Sah. After seeing their freshman dual-match season canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amiri and Sah helped the Anteaters to a Big West tournament title in 2022 and a share of the regular-season championship in 2023. During their UCI careers, the 'Eaters own a 58-29 dual-match record. Amiri is finishing up his undergraduate degree in biological sciences, while Sah is in the Master of Software Engineering program. Sah is the Anteaters' active doubles wins leader at 40.
SEASONED NEWCOMERS
UCI bolstered its roster with the addition of three newcomers, including graduate transfers Rahul Dhokia and Hiroki Sakagawa. Dhokia previously played at Texas A&M and Baylor, where he was a member of the Bears' 2021 NCAA Finalist team. He made his Anteater debut in doubles on Feb. 25 and in singles, where he is 7-1, on March 5. Sakagawa spent the last four years at the University of Arizona. In his first season at UC Irvine, Sakagawa is 7-5 in singles and 8-6 in doubles alongside Andy Nguyen.
BLUE CHIP
Freshman Andy Nguyen is a blue-chip recruit from Millikan High School in Long Beach. He was the CIF-Southern Section individual champion in 2022, while he also led the Rams to the CIF Division 4 team title in 2021. Nguyen was ranked eighth in California and 18th in the nation according to Tennis Recruiting. At UCI, Nguyen is 15-5 overall and 9-3 in dual matches.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine closes out the regular season by hosting Hawai'i at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 20.
No. 49 UC Santa Barbara (10-6, 2-0 Big West)
Date: Sunday, April 14
Time: 1 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Arnhold Tennis Center - Santa Barbara, Calif.
UC Irvine (13-5, 3-0 Big West) at
UC San Diego (8-14, 1-1 Big West)
Date: Tuesday, April 16
Time: 1 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Northview Tennis Courts - La Jolla, Calif.
Match Notes
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine men's tennis hits the road for two Big West matches this week, starting at 49th-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, April 14. The Anteaters will then make their way to UC San Diego on Tuesday, April 16. First serve for both matches is 1 p.m.
QUICK HITS
• The 'Eaters (3-0) and Gauchos (2-0) are the only unbeaten teams in Big West play.
• In his UCI career, junior Noah Zamora owns a 14-1 singles record against conference opponents.
• This season he is 2-0 in Big West matches and owns a team-best 11 dual-match singles wins.
• Rithvik Krishna, Andy Nguyen and Lawee Sherif are tied for second with nine victories apiece.
• As a team, the Anteaters have been impressive in singles where they are 69-27 (.719).
• UC Irvine won the Big West tournament in 2022 and secured a share of the Big West regular-season title in 2023.
• The 'Eaters have seven returning letterwinners including all four of their All-Big West selections from a year ago.
• In their Division I history, the Anteaters have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
• They have placed first in the Big West standings 17 times and won four Big West Tournament titles.
• UC Irvine has been named an ITA All-Academic Team (minimum 3.2 team GPA) in each of the last seven years.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Freshman Andy Nguyen received the Anteaters' second Big West Player of the Week honor on March 27. Nguyen was recognized after helping UC Irvine to a 4-3 victory over Gonzaga. He gave the Anteaters their first lead of the match as his 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Pablo Gomez Galvan at No. 4 singles put UCI up 2-1. Nguyen is the only freshman in the conference to claim the weekly award this season. On March 13, junior Noah Zamora secured UC Irvine's first Big West Player of the Week nod after going 2-0 in singles against No. 31 UCLA and Weber State. He earned the Anteaters' lone point in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Spencer Johnson on court three.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine rolled past UC Riverside, 4-0, Monday (April 8) at Anteater Tennis Stadium. UCI made some changes to its doubles lineup, debuting new pairs on all three courts, and it paid off. Rahul Dhokia and Matthew Sah made a seamless transition as they blanked Lucas Mszyca/Lucas Ibarrondo Suarez, 6-0, at No. 3. Andy Nguyen and Brandon Park brought the energy on court two where they clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 victory over Ryan Huynh/Aarav Sane. The 'Eaters kept the momentum in singles, starting at the top of the lineup where Enrique Luque Rico dispatched Joshua Roth, 6-1, 6-0. Just seconds later, Zamora closed out a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Sane at No. 3. Dhokia then took down Huynh, 6-2, 6-0 for the match-clinching point at No. 5.
SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara (10-6, 2-0 Big West), which was 49th in the latest ITA Rankings, took down UC San Diego, 4-1, in its most recent outing on Thursday, April 11. No. 56 Pablo Masjuan is 9-4 at No. 1 singles, while Gianluca Brunkow owns a team-best 12 victories with 11 of those coming at No. 2. Brunkow/Masjuan have also teamed up in doubles where they are 8-2 at the top of the lineup. The UCSB duo is ranked 38th in the nation.
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
UC San Diego (8-14, 1-1 Big West) saw its season-long five-match win streak come to an end with a 4-1 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, April 11. Diogo Tinoco and Zach Pellouchoud are tied for the team lead with nine singles victories each. Pellouchoud and Pelayo Rodriguez also make up the Tritons' No. 1 doubles pair as they have seven wins, including six at the top of the lineup.
BIG WEST DOMINANCE
Noah Zamora owns a 14-1 record against Big West opponents. He is unbeaten in his last 18 outings against conference foes (including postseason) where he is 13-0 with five matches that went unfinished. The only Big West loss of his two-plus year career came against Cal Poly on April 3, 2022. Zamora is a two-time all-conference selection in both singles and doubles, and was named the 2022 Big West Freshman of the Year. In his three seasons at UCI, the San Diego native is 35-12 (.745) in dual-match singles.
FROM THE TOP
Graduate student Enrique Luque Rico transferred to UCI from Pepperdine prior to the 2022-23 campaign and has been a steady force at the top of the singles lineup for the Anteaters since his arrival. This season, he is 8-4 at No. 1 with two of his losses coming against ranked opponents. He recently had a clutch three-set win over Noah Berry to clinch UC Irvine's 4-3 victory over Cal Poly on April 6. Last year, Luque Rico went 10-6 to earn first-team All-Big West honors. Over his collegiate career, he owns a 46-22 dual-match singles record.
TWENTY AND COUNTING
In just his 26th decision in his collegiate dual-match career, junior Rithvik Krishna recorded his 20th win. This year, he has gone 9-4 while playing at Nos. 2-5. Krishna, who is in his third season at UCI, owns an impressive .714 win percentage (25-10). Last year, he earned an All-Big West honorable mention nod.
ON THE RISE
Junior Lawee Sherif has been on a tear this season as he is tied for second on the squad with nine singles victories, while boasting a .750 win percentage (9-3). He has more dual-match singles wins in 2024 than he had in his first two campaigns combined.
YEAR FIVE
UCI has a veteran squad led by fifth-year seniors Ali Amiri and Matthew Sah. After seeing their freshman dual-match season canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amiri and Sah helped the Anteaters to a Big West tournament title in 2022 and a share of the regular-season championship in 2023. During their UCI careers, the 'Eaters own a 58-29 dual-match record. Amiri is finishing up his undergraduate degree in biological sciences, while Sah is in the Master of Software Engineering program. Sah is the Anteaters' active doubles wins leader at 40.
SEASONED NEWCOMERS
UCI bolstered its roster with the addition of three newcomers, including graduate transfers Rahul Dhokia and Hiroki Sakagawa. Dhokia previously played at Texas A&M and Baylor, where he was a member of the Bears' 2021 NCAA Finalist team. He made his Anteater debut in doubles on Feb. 25 and in singles, where he is 7-1, on March 5. Sakagawa spent the last four years at the University of Arizona. In his first season at UC Irvine, Sakagawa is 7-5 in singles and 8-6 in doubles alongside Andy Nguyen.
BLUE CHIP
Freshman Andy Nguyen is a blue-chip recruit from Millikan High School in Long Beach. He was the CIF-Southern Section individual champion in 2022, while he also led the Rams to the CIF Division 4 team title in 2021. Nguyen was ranked eighth in California and 18th in the nation according to Tennis Recruiting. At UCI, Nguyen is 15-5 overall and 9-3 in dual matches.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine closes out the regular season by hosting Hawai'i at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 20.
Players Mentioned
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