PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – USF's women's tennis team came short this afternoon against UC Santa Barbara 5-2.
 
The Dons worked in doubles play to earn their first team point. At first doubles, Marina Nikolic picked up a quick 6-2 win against Luisa Ortiz Candido and Melissa Baker.  After a long battle of back and forth play against Priscilla Garcia and Natalie Da Silveira, Genevieve McCloskey and Sofia Holmberg claimed a well-deserved match of 7-6 (4).
 
With four of USF's singles matches ending in three sets, the Dons made UCSB work for their win. Taune, McCloskey and Ines Teixeira were three of four student athletes who made it to three sets.
 
Nikolic did not give up in her match against UCSB's no. 2 singles player Da Silveira, as defeated her in three sets. After just falling short in the first set, 6-7 (4), Nikolic pushed forward to claim her second set 7-6 (3), and finished off the third set with a dominating 6-3 win.
 
Women's tennis will head off to Malibu, Calif. next, where they will face off Pepperdine on April 3 at 1:30 p.m.
 
USF 2, UCSB 5
 
Singles | Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1, 6, 5, 2
 
No. 1 Jaimee Gilbertson (UCSB) def. Thyra Taune (USF); 0-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Marina Nikolic (USF) def. Natalie Da Silveira (UCSB); 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3
No. 3 Melissa Baker (UCSB) def. Milica Hadzi-Tanovic (USF); 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 April Scatliffe (UCSB) def. Sofia Holmberg (USF); 6-3, ret
No. 5 Stacy Yam (UCSB) def. Genevieve McCloskey (USF); 6-3, 1-6, 7-5
No. 6 Luisa Ortiz Candido (UCSB) def. Ines Teixeira (USF); 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
 
Doubles | Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
 
No. 1 Nikolic/Taune (USF) def. Candido/Baker (UCSB); 6-2
No. 2 McCloskey/Holmberg (USF) def. Da Silveira (UCSB); 7-6(4)
No. 3 Yam/Gilbertson (UCSB) Teixeira/Hadzi-Tanovic (USF); 6-3