Claremont, Calif. - The UC Santa Cruz Women's Tennis team won four of six singles matches and clinched the team win at 2 doubles, as it defeated Pomona-Pitzer 6-3 on Tuesday.

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The loss drops Pomona-Pitzer, which was playing its first match after 12 days off for Spring Break, to 7-2 on the year, while the Banana Slugs improve to 9-5.

Junior Arthi Padmanabhan (Saratoga, Calif.) won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 singles and teamed with freshman Lea Lynn Yen (Fullerton, Calif.) for an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles, but it wasn't enough for the Sagehens.

Singles were played first, and Pomona-Pitzer nearly suffered the team defeat before even reaching doubles, but junior Sammy Chao (Hong Kong - pictured) gutted out a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 win at No. 2 singles, winning the third-set tiebreaker 7-4.

The Sagehens almost leveled the match 3-3 after singles, as senior Kara Wang (Saratoga, Calif.) won a second-set tiebreaker 7-5 at No. 5, but fell in the third set 6-4 to Mary Collins. 

Freshman Mae Coyiuto (Makati City, Philippines) also suffered her first collegiate defeat after an 8-0 start, as she got off to a slow start at No. 3 against Laura Wade and fell 6-1, 6-4, as Wade broke her for match point.

Pomona-Pitzer is back in action tomorrow for a tough test against No. 3 Williams at 4 p.m.