RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Irvine snagged a commanding 5-2 victory over UC Riverside Thursday afternoon in Riverside.
 
The Anteaters (2-4, 1-1 Big West) came out on top in doubles action as No. 2's Yen Nhi Huynh and Carolyna Fowler finished first, 6-2, for their third straight victory as a pair. Kayla Meraz and Amanda Perez finished next at No. 1, handling their opposition 6-3 to clinch the doubles point.
 
Y. Huynh continued her winning ways, tallying her fourth consecutive win at No. 6, in a 6-1, 6-0 match over Sam Condevillamar. Meraz at No. 2 was threatened in her match, only claiming the first set 6-3 before dominating in the second set 6-0 to put UCI up 3-1. Junior Haily Huynh clinched the UCI win on court four, going 6-2, 6-2 against the Highlander's Kei Kato.
 
UC Riverside picked up wins at No. 1 and No. 3 after the Anteater win was sealed to make it a 4-2 contest. In a three-set battle at the No. 5 spot, Maily Huynh won her second career game, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 to end the match 5-2.
 
FROM HEAD COACH ELIZABETH FERRIS SMITH
"This is a solid bounce back win after a tough conference loss to Davis. We knew we had to start with great energy and fast. There wouldn't be any time to work our way into doubles. I'm really proud of our win at 1 doubles. That was a very good clean win. We matched their intensity and made big moves at the net. Three doubles stayed in their match to keep some pressure off everyone else and two doubles played reliably and had timely poaches. Yen got us on the board quickly and Kayla was our third point. Her opponent has a style that can be tricky and throw you off. Kayla had to earn each point and trust in her footwork. Haily was our clinch point. The score line seems like it was quick, but she played an opponent with a very similar style. It was an intense back and forth match with each player putting everything they had into the match. She saw the court well and made smart choices on deuce points to make the match look easy. Maily had some ups and downs, but she trusted in the coaching and had the confidence to get it done."
 
FROM THE PLAYERS
"After our previous match it was really important that the team showed energy and confidence coming into this match, and we did just that. I was really proud of my doubles performance with Nour, as well as my win in singles.  I did a good job mentally, even when I was down, and ended getting the win. Let's take this energy into our match on Saturday against Occidental. Go 'Eaters!" –Maily Huynh
 
"Today was a reminder that we must work for every point. Starting with doubles Amanda and I came out strong with high energy from the start, had great first serves and a strong presence at the net, kept our focus at every point allowing us to win doubles 6-3. My singles match in particular started a bit rough in the beginning, I had to adjust to my playing someone who plays a different style than what I'm typically used to. Ultimately, I was able to find my rhythm and play my game, and it yielded a win. As a team we were able to handle the adversity and pull through to win this match 5-2. The team and I will use this win to fuel our energy in the upcoming matches. Go 'Eaters!!!" –Kayla Meraz

SINGLES RESULTS
Ramey Yu (UCR) def. Amanda Perez (UCI) 6-4, 6-3
Kayla Meraz (UCI) def. Niki Shahbazi (UCR) 6-3, 6-0
Crystal Kim (UCR) def. Carolyna Fowler (UCI) 3-6, 6-3, 10-6
Haily Huynh (UCI) def. Kei Kato (UCR) 6-2, 6-2
Maily Huynh (UCI) def. Chloe Vu (UCR) 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
Yen Nhi Huynh (UCI) def. Sam Condevillamar (UCI) 6-1, 6-0
 
DOUBLES RESULTS
Kayla Meraz/Amanda Perez (UCI) def. Ramey Yu/Kei Kato (UCR) 6-3
Carolyna Fowler/Yen Nhi Huynh (UCI) def. Crystal Kim/Sam Condevillamar (UCR) 6-2
Chloe Vu/Niki Shahbazi (UCR) vs. Maily Huynh/Nour Khayat 4-4 unf

UP NEXT
UCI stays on the road, this time heading up to Occidental on Saturday (Feb. 22) morning for an 11 a.m. start.