Top-Ranked CMS Women's Tennis Defeats DI UC San Diego in Season-Opening Dual

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Lindsay Eisenman and Ella Brissett earned the doubles point with a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker at No. 2, and Eisenman went on to a dominant 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's tennis team, ranked No. 1 in Division III, defeated Division I UC San Diego 6-1 in its first dual match of the 2024 spring season on Saturday at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center. 

UC San Diego slips to 1-5 with the loss, with the win a 4-3 victory over Pomona-Pitzer last week. 

Alisha Chulani and Nikolina Batoshvili gave CMS its first point with a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles, but the Tritons were able to match with a 6-4 win at No. 3. That left it to Eisenman and Brissett at No. 2 to determine the doubles point (the match was played with Division I scoring rules with doubles counting for one point instead of three). With a 6-5 lead and UC San Diego serving, Eisenman ripped a backhand return and Brissett was able to finish with a volley at the net to give CMS a 1-0 lead heading into singles. 

That point proved to be big, as the Athenas were able to pick up three straight-set wins in order to get the clinch. Two other courts went to three sets, but the pressure was off once CMS had the four points it needed for the win. 

Eisenman earned her sweep of the day with a dominant second set in a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1. Audrey Yoon had an equally dominant effort at No. 2, earning a 6-2, 6-1 victory and Jade Haller won in straight sets in her first collegiate dual at No. 4, taking it 6-4, 6-4. 

Chulani was dominant in the first set at No. 3, winning 6-1, but was pushed to a third set before prevailing, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. Sena Selby also had to gut out a three-setter at No. 6, winning 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.  

CMS will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 16, when it takes on Point Loma and Westcliff in a pair of matches at Biszantz.