LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The fall season got underway for the UC San Diego women's tennis team Thursday as the Tritons competed at the USTA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Championships on the campus of Cal State L.A.

The Tritons will have two doubles teams and two singles players competing Friday.

The doubles team of Tara Vanooteghem and Melissa Breisacher defeated a team from Sonoma State, 8-6, and a squad from Dixie State, 8-3, to advance to Friday's third round. Haley Perrotte and Jacquelyn Davis had a bye in the opening round and took down a team from Cal State L.A., 8-6. 

In singles play, Perrotte won her first match, 6-2, 6-1, against Lindsey West of Cal State Stanislaus. She then topped Cal State L.A.'s Joyce Librando by scores of 6-3 and 6-1 to earn a spot in Friday's round of 16. Samantha Yeung, who enjoyed a first round bye, was a winner over Dixie State's Justine Davis, 6-0 and 6-1.

Doubles play resumes Friday at 1:30 p.m. with the quarterfinals. The semis are at 3 p.m and the championship match will be Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Singles action starts up at 9:00 a.m. with the round of 16 followed by the quarterfinals at 11:00 a.m. Semifinals are Saturday at 9:00 a.m. with the title match scheduled for noon.

The USTA/ITA Regional Championships feature some of the top men's and women's players competing in each of the ITA's regions nationwide. Over 8,000 student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, Junior and Community Colleges compete at one of the 88 USTA/ITA Regional Championships held across the country.

The winners from each regional site advance to the ITA National Small College Championships, the only championship event for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II level. The national championship event will include all eight regional champions from the NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community Colleges.

2011 USTA/ITA West Region Championships
Sept. 28, 2011
Los Angeles, Calif.

Singles - First Round
Maiko Hermsmeier (UCSD) def. Liz Franco (Cal State L.A.) 2-6, 6-0, 10-6
Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) def. McKenzy Hardin (Cal State Stanislaus) 6-2, 6-2
Tara Vanooteghem (UCSD) def. Kristen Nichols (Dixie State) 6-0, 6-1
Pauline Emin (Grand Canyon) def. Zoe Sophos (UCSD) 6-2, 6-0
Melissa Breisacher (UCSD), Haley Perrotte (UCSD) and Samantha Yeung (UCSD) - first round bye

Singles - Second Round
Gabby Verspieren (Denver) def. Maiko Hermsmeier (UCSD) 6-3, 6-3
Larn McShane (Cal State L.A.) def. Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) 6-4, 3-6, 10-5
Leora Hemmerich (Cal State L.A.) def. Melissa Breisacher (UCSD) 6-2, 6-3
Haley Perrotte (UCSD) def. Joyce Librando (Cal State L.A.) 6-3, 6-1
Sherry Liu (BYU-Hawaii) def. Tara Vanooteghem (UCSD) 6-1, 6-0
Samantha Yeung (UCSD) def. Justine Davis (Dixie State) 6-0, 6-1

Doubles - First Round
Tara Vanooteghem/Melissa Breisacher (UCSD) def. Lauren Ha/Sheena Johnson (Sonoma State) 8-6
Zoe Sophos/Maiko Hermsmeier (UCSD) def. Aubrey Brenda/Lindsey West (Cal State Stanislaus) 8-2
Haley Perrotte/Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) and Laura Wilke/Samantha Yeung (UCSD) - first round byes

Doubles - Round of 16
Tara Vanooteghem/Melissa Breisacher (UCSD) def. Allison Long/Allison Evans (Dixie State)8-3
Haley Perrotte/Jacquelyn Davis (UCSD) def. Leora Hemmerich/Jill Sangria (Cal State L.A.) 8-6
Stephanie Hoffmire/Brooke McBride (Sonoma State) def. Laura Wilke/Samantha Yeung (UCSD) 8-4
Irina Morozova/Gabby Verspieren (Denver) def. Zoe Sophos/Maiko Hermsmeier (UCSD) 8-3

- UCSDtritons.com -