SURPRISE, AZ -- Cal State LA's women's tennis team competed admirably against the NCAA Division II's top-ranked team on Friday in the PacWest Championships.

The Golden Eagles fell to the defending conference champions, 5-0, at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Center. Cal State LA (12-9) lost to the Seasiders (21-0) for the second straight year in the conference semi-finals.

After losing all three doubles matches by identical 8-2 scores, the Golden Eagles put up quite a battle in singles despite not earning any points. Kayleigh Hall fell at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-0, to No. 47 Xin Wen and BYU-Hawaii clinched the match when the nation's top-ranked player, Nannan Zhang, outlasted Cal State LA's No. 1 player, Nozomi Matsuoka, 6-4, 6-1.

The Golden Eagles, though, were very much in the four unfinished matches. Iris Raileanu was locked in a second-set tiebreaker at No. 4 singles with Shu-Ying Hsieh after dropping the opening set. Isabella Lopez was even in the second set at No. 5 singles after losing the first set in a tiebrreaker and Pyper Brown was down 4-2 in the second set after losing in a first-set tiebreaker.

Elizaveta Sokolova fought hard against the nation's No. 7-ranked singles player at No. 2 singles and lost the first set, 6-3.

Cal State LA, ranked No. 35 in the nation, will now play for third place in the conference against No. 24 Sonoma State on Saturday. The Golden Eagles finished fourth in the PacWest Championships last year.

#1 BYU-Hawaii 5, #35 Cal State L.A. 0
Apr 15, 2016 at Surprise, Ariz.
 

Singles competition

1. #1 Nannan Zhang (BYUH) def. #37 Nozomi Matsuoka (CSULA) 6-4, 6-1

2. #7 Min Liu (BYUH) vs. Elizaveta Sokolova (CSULA) 6-3, 5-0, unfinished

3. #47 Xin Wen (BYUH) def. Kayleigh Hall (CSULA) 6-4, 6-0

4. Shu-Ying Hsieh (BYUH) vs. Iris Raileanu (CSULA) 6-2, 6-6 (7-7), unfinished

5. Jade Griffin (BYUH) vs. Isabella Lopez (CSULA) 7-6 (7-5), 3-3, unfinished

6. Kanela Adamson (BYUH) vs. Pyper Brown (CSULA) 7-6 (7-4), 4-2, unfinished

 

Doubles competition

1. #2 Nannan Zhang/Xin Wen (BYUH) def. Kayleigh Hall/Nozomi Matsuoka (CSULA) 8-2

2. #3 Min Liu/Shu-Ying Hsieh (BYUH) def. Isabella Lopez/Iris Raileanu (CSULA) 8-2

3. Jade Griffin/Kanela Adamson (BYUH) def. Pyper Brown/Elizaveta Sokolova (CSULA) 8-2

 

Match Notes

Cal State L.A. 12-9; National ranking #35; Regional ranking #7

BYU-Hawaii 21-0; National ranking #1; Regional ranking #1

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (34,1)