The No. 19 University of Redlands women's tennis team jumped into action on Saturday morning by taking to the road to face No. 13 UC San Diego in a non-conference clash. Despite playing with great heart, the Bulldogs came up short against the quality NCAA Division II opponent by a score of 1-8.
After the Tritons prevailed in the first two doubles matches, the Bulldogs secured a hard-fought win at the top slot. Freshman Sarah Ikioka (Wailuku, HI) and sophomore Elizabeth Johnson (Portland, OR) made their season debut together a memorable one by eking out a 9-8 (7) decision.
Although Redlands dropped all six singles matches, the squad competed well against the top-notch foes. Ikioka won four games in the opening set of her match at No. 2 (6-4, 6-0), while Johnson rallied to take three games off of her No. 3 counterpart (6-0, 6-3).
Redlands (0-1) looks forward to returning home to the familiar surroundings of Verdieck Courts on Saturday, February 11, when it squares off against Concordia University – Irvine at 11 a.m.