OAHU, Hawaii - The UC San Diego women's tennis team dropped a 5-1 decision on Thursday to Hawaii Pacific in the NCAA West Regional, as the match result ended the Tritons' 2010 postseason hopes.

UCSD, a squad that won its seventh-straight California Collegiate Athletic Association earlier in the season, concludes the year with a 13-9 overall record. In 2009, the Tritons were also knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by HPU.

The Lady Sea Warriors, improving to 19-4 so far in 2010, will advance to the Round of 16 to be held in Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Junior Natalie Varnay recorded UCSD's lone point on Wednesday as she defeated HPU's Tinka Mihova at the No. 2 singles position, 6-2, 6-1.

The host Lady Sea Warriors swept through the three doubles matches to start the contest and eventually got the deciding point on a victory at the No. 6 singles spot.

The Tritons, finishing the year with a No. 15 national ranking, concluded the CCAA regular season with a dramatic title-clinching victory at home over Cal State Stanislaus on April 17. The two squads entered that match with identical 8-1 conference marks.

Singles competition

1. Zora Vlckova (HPU) def. Taskeen Bains (UCSD) 6-3, 6-2

2. Natalie Varnay (UCSD) def. Nina Mihova (HPU) 6-2, 6-1

3. Ingrid Cseh (HPU) vs. Cindy Dao (UCSD) 6-3, 4-1, unfinished

4. Tinka Mihova (HPU) vs. Valerie Tang (UCSD) 6-3, 4-4, unfinished

5. Sandra Wikstrom (HPU) vs. Anita Athavale (UCSD) 4-6, 2-1, unfinished

6. Aleksandra Stankovic (HPU) def. Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition

1. Ingrid Cseh/Zora Vlckova (HPU) def. Taskeen Bains/Natalie Varnay (UCSD) 8-5

2. Aleksandra Stankovic/Sandra Wikstrom (HPU) def. Anita Athavale/Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) 8-3

3. Tinka Mihova/Nina Mihova (HPU) def. Melissa Breisacher/Samantha Yeung (UCSD) 8-5

Match Notes

UC San Diego 13-9; National ranking #15; Regional ranking #3

Hawai'i Pacific University 19-4; National ranking #11; Regional ranking #2

- NCAA West Region (No. 2 Seed Hawai'i Pacific vs. No. 3 Seed UC San Diego)