IRVINE, Calif. – With Genevieve McCloskey playing role of clincher, the San Francisco women's tennis team nabbed a 4-3 win over UC Irvine in a marathon battle on Saturday at Palisades Tennis Club.

The Dons earned their first team win of the spring as they turned back the Anteaters (0-4). McCloskey, Hanna Borjeson and Anna Sokiran each earned two victories in the match as the Dons opened up the day earning the doubles point.

McCloskey, teamed with Emily Maxfield, cruised to the 6-0 victory over UC Irvine's top tandem of Constance Branstine and Stephanie Nguyen to set the tone. After the Anteaters took the win at No. 3, Borjeson and partner Margarita Treyes rallied for the comeback victory to send USF into doubles action with the lead.

"No. 2 doubles really competed well to pull out the tiebreaker and clinch the doubles point after being down 4-2 in the breaker," USF head coach Hilary Somers said. "This proved to be an important doubles point on the day."

Moving into singles play, Borjeson secured the straight-set win at No. 5 as the Dons grew the lead, but UC Irvine was able to get on the board with a win at No. 6. Then, Sokiran knocked off Branstine in the No. 1 position, 6-3, 6-3, before the Anteaters secured the next two points to knot the score.

Coming down to the wire, McCloskey fought back from a disappointing tiebreak loss in the second set to road back for the 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 victory to clinch the team win for USF.

"Anna had a great win at number one singles, and Hanna cruised through her match," remarked Somers. "With the match tied at 3-3, Gen lost four match points in the second set to then had to play a third set.  She really did a great job keeping it together and fighting. 

"After losing those match points she had in the second set, it would have been easy to give in in the third, but she really battled and after going up 4-3, closed it out 6-3. Hopefully this match gives the girls more confidence and momentum going in to the Long Beach State match tomorrow."

The Dons take on the 49ers at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
 

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USF 4, UC Irvine 3
Saturday, Feb. 11 | Irvine Calif. (Palisades Tennis Club)

Singles competition – Order of finish (5, 2, 6, 1, 4, 3*)
1. Anna Sokiran (USF) def. Constance Branstine (UCI); 6-3, 6-3
2. Vivien Dvali (UCI) def. Emily Maxfield (USF); 6-1, 6-3
3. Genevieve McCloskey (USF) def. Cassidy Branstine (UCI); 7-5, 6-7 (2-10), 6-3
4. Stephanie Nguyen (UCI) def. Margarita Treyes (USF); 7-6 (10-4), 6-1
5. Hanna Borjeson (USF) def. Stephanie Hazell (UCI); 6-1, 6-0
6. Ashlynn Hall (UCI) def. Sarina Chhabra (USF); 6-4, 6-1
 
Doubles competition – Order of finish (1, 3, 2)
1. Emily Maxfield/Genevieve McCloskey (USF) def. Constance Branstine/Stephanie Nguyen (UCI); 6-0
2. Hanna Borjeson/Margarita Treyes (USF) def. Vivien Dvali/ Stephanie Hazell (UCI); 7-6 (11-9)
3. Cassidy Branstine/Hali Dickson (UCI) def. Anna Sokiran/ Amber Del Rosario (USF); 6-4