Anteaters too much for Gauchos, Damion

IRVINE — UC Irvine had already clinched a Big West Conference women’s tennis victory over UC Santa Barbara, but that didn’t stop Gauchos freshman Jill Damion from going all out to get a win Saturday at UCI.

Damion, a former Corona del Mar High standout, came up short against UCI senior Inna Agababian, yet assuredly made the Anteater work for it.

In the final match of the day, Agababian defeated Damion, 6-4, 6-7, 14-12, at No. 2 singles, as part of the Anteaters’ 6-1 triumph.

UC Irvine (2-4), ranked No. 37, improved to 2-0 in the Big West. The Anteaters won two of three doubles matches to take a 1-0 lead. Agababian and fellow senior Jessica Broadfoot defeated Damion and Asagi Onaga, 8-6, in No. 2 doubles.

UCI juniors Ali Borowicz and Heidi Kaloi beat Brittany Kausen and Tova Hauseman, 9-7, in No. 3 doubles.

Borowicz gave UCI a 2-0 lead as she beat CdM product Juliette Mutzke, a senior, 6-0, 6-0, in No. 6 singles.

Senior Becky Bernhard, the Anteaters’ No. 1 singles player, had a tight match against Marta Simic. Bernhard pulled out the win, 6-4, 7-6.

Kaloi clinched the overall win for UCI, as she beat Tova Hausman, 6-2, 6-2, in No. 5 singles.

UCSB (2-2, 1-1 in conference) collected its lone win at No. 4 singles. Onaga, a sophomore, defeated Broadfoot, 0-6, 7-6, 10-8.

The Anteaters return to action Friday when they play at No. 69 Loyola Marymount.

— From staff reports

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 6, UC Santa Barbara 1

Singles – Bernhard (UCI) def. Simic, 6-4, 7-6; Agababian (UCI) def. Damion, 6-4, 6-7, 14-12; Fermin (UCI) def. Scatliffe, 6-1, 6-2; Broadfoot (UCI) lost to Onaga, 6-0, 6-7, 8-10; Kaloi (UCI) def. Hausman, 6-2, 6-2; Borowicz (UCI) def. Mutzke, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles – Bernhard-Fermin (UCI) lost to Scatliffe-Simic, 4-8; Agababian-Broadfoot (UCI) def. Damion-Onaga, 8-6; Borowicz-Kaloi (UCI) def. Hausman-Kausen, 9-7.