Portland women’s tennis lost a close match to UC Irvine, falling 4-3 at the UC Irvine Tennis Courts on Friday. The Pilots were unable to overcome an early deficit after dropping the doubles point, despite a 6-4 win by Dariya Radulova and Lexie Flores at the No. 2 spot. UC Irvine secured victories in the other two doubles matches to take the opening point.
In singles play, three of six matches went to three sets. UC Irvine took straight-set wins at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, quickly building a 3-0 lead. Nadine Arbaizer Martinez started Portland’s rally with a win over Carolyna Fowler at No. 3 singles, finishing 6-3, 6-3.
Alaia Rubio Perez defeated Yen Nhi Huynh in three sets at the top position (3-6, 6-2, 6-4), while Radulova overcame Amanda Perez in another three-set match (6-1, 1-6, 6-2) at No. 2 singles to tie the overall score.
The deciding point came down to No. 6 singles where Maily Huynh edged out Meagan Pearson in three sets (6-7, 6-2, 6-3), giving UC Irvine the victory.
Portland’s record moves to 1-4 for the season while UC Irvine improves to 3-4. The Pilots will continue their road trip in Southern California with two more matches this weekend: facing TCU in Santa Barbara on Saturday and concluding against UC Riverside on Sunday.
Fans can purchase tickets for upcoming Portland Pilots home events by visiting https://portlandpilots.com/tickets or through the Portland Pilots App. Group and fan experience package information is available via pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.
Supporters interested in contributing to University of Portland Athletics can make donations online; these gifts help student-athletes compete both athletically and academically and are fully tax deductible.
Updates and coverage of University of Portland athletic programs are available at https://portlandpilots.com as well as on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
