HOME OF BULLDOG WOMEN'S TENNIS - 1980, 2005, 2008 SCIAC Champions

After earning an at-large bid and a first-round bye, the University of Redlands women’s tennis team posted a 5-3 victory over UC Santa Cruz on Saturday to advance to the Third Round of the NCAA Championships. The Bulldogs then faced off against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) foe Pomona-Pitzer Colleges on Sunday but came up short against the Sagehens, 1-5.

In Friday’s match, Redlands gained only one of the doubles points as the top duo of sophomores Paige Sumida (Hilo, HI) and Whitney Waters (Austin, TX) captured an 8-6 victory. In singles, sophomore Rachael Miller (Newport Beach, CA) and Sumida battled back to win in three sets at #1 and #2, respectively. Miller came out on top with scores of 6-2, 2-6, 6-0, while Sumida earned a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory. Rounding out the Bulldogs’ points, Waters captured a 6-1, 6-3 win at the #4 spot, with junior Tori Damiani (Sacramento, CA) cruising through with a 6-0, 6-0 showing at #6.

The Bulldogs moved onto the Third Round but struggled against their conference opponent. Redlands went down 0-3 after doubles, losing at #1 in a tiebreak. Waters gained the only point for the Bulldogs with her impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory at #4.

Redlands women’s tennis (16-6) looks forward to cheering on Miller, Sumida and Waters as they move onto the NCAA Individual Championships. Miller competes in singles as Sumida and Waters team up for the doubles competition. Play begins May 16 at Gustavus Adolphus Colleges.