‘Eaters earn first shutout

The UC Irvine women’s tennis team notched its first shutout of the

season and won its fourth straight match with a 7-0 Big West

Conference decision over visiting UC Riverside Friday.

Tiffany Chang, one of two UCI seniors playing in their final home

match, came back from a 5-1 deficit in the second set to defeat Casey

Cross, 7-6 (6), and gain the singles points. Chang, 16-7 in singles

this season, held serve to tie Cross, 6-6, before claiming the

tiebreaker, 8-6.

Anna Bentzer, ranked 102nd in the nation in singles who has been

named Big West Athlete of the Week three times, improved to 15-3 this

season after defeating Michelle Beyronneau, 6-1, 6-1. Chang and

Bentzer (13-5) are ranked 56th in the country in doubles.

Friday, Bentzer and freshman Jayme Hu defeated Beyronneau and

Carolyn Mitchell, 8-0.

Christie Posner, UCI’s other senior, defeated Mitchell, 7-5, 6-3,

at No. 5 singles while teaming with junior Kristina Boss to down

Kelley Takeshita and Kristina Kim, 8-3, in doubles.

Boss lost just two games in winning her singles match.

UCI (12-7, 5-2 in the Big West) is tied for third in the

conference with Long Beach. The Anteaters conclude the regular season

with an away match against Cal State Fullerton (1-5 in conference) at

2 p.m. Wednesday.

The ‘Eaters will compete in the conference team tournament April

22-25 in Indian Wells.

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Big West Conference

UC Irvine 7, UC Riverside 0

Singles -- Bentzer (UCI) def. Beyronneau, 6-1, 6-1; Chang (UCI) def. Cross, 6-4, 7-6 (6); Leow (UCI) def. Takeshita, 6-2, 6-2; Boss (UCI) def. Tran, 6-0, 6-2; Posner (UCI) def. Mitchell, 7-5, 6-3; Hu (UCI) Cabanilla, 6-1, 6-2. Doubles -- Chang-Leow

(UCI) def. Cross-Tran, 8-3; Bentzer-Hu (UCI) def. Beyronneau-Mitchell, 8-0; Posner-Boss (UCI) def. Takeshita-Kim, 8-3.

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