The No. 30 Oregon women’s tennis team’s quest for a Pac-12 Championship ended today with a heart-breaking 4-3 loss in the second round to the overpowering No. 13 UCLA.
The Ducks rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, but were unable to pull off the upset win in Ojai, Calif.
Shweta Sangwan and Julia Lilien were able to tie the match at two before UCLA retook the lead. Daniela Nasser then tied the match again before the Ducks ultimately fell.
Because of UCLA’s dominant doubles play, the Ducks were down early. No. 88 Rifanty Kahfiani and Alyssa Tobita lost to No. 56 Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield 6-1. UCLA then took the point when Alaina Miller and Ena Shibahara defeated Julia Lilien and Paiton Wagner.
Oregon’s victories were hard fought. Sangwan and Nasser each defeated a top-ranked opponent. Sangwan downed No. 30 Jada Hart 6-3, 6-1 and Nasser defeated No. 59 Abi Altick 7-5, 6-2. The win was Nasser’s first of her career over a nationally ranked opponent. Lilien’s win was equally impressive as she defeated senior Terri Fleming 6-4, 7-5 in the No. 3 position.
UCLA was able to hold off the Ducks in the end. No. 43 Tobita lost to No. 14 Shibahara 6-4, 6-2, which put the Bruins up 2-0 in the match. After Oregon tied the match, Miller, who was playing out of the No. 6 position, retook the lead for UCLA. The highly-ranked six position defeated Wagner 6-1, 7-6. The clinching win for the Bruins came from Broomfield. She defeated Julia Eshet in the fifth position 7-5, 6-4 to clinch the match for the two seeded Bruins.
Oregon’s hope for a Pac-12 title will have to wait at least another year, but given its status in the rankings and the hard-fought performance against UCLA today, they should expect to be playing in the NCAA tournament.
Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack