CLAREMONT- UC Santa Cruz women's tennis team had several positive performances as they opened the 2022-23 season at the ITA West Regionals. It was the first time in four years that the women had competed at ITAs.

The Banana Slugs went 4-1 in first-round singles play, including three three-set wins. Last season's no. 1 singles player Sara Beckman defeated Pomona's Samantha Moore-Thomson 6-4, 3-6, 10-7. Beckman, however, dropped the second-round match to Claremont's Audrey Yoon in straight sets. Sophia Nguyen defeated Caltech's Teresa Huang 6-3, 5-7, 10-6. Julia Chiaradia Azzi beat Pomona's Leila Sahyoun 6-2, 6-3, while Natalie Sprenger came back to overcome Redlands's Madison Sherwood 2-6, 7-6, 10-5.
Azzi won her second round match, beating Westcliff's Soleil Zsibrita 2-6, 6-4, 10-8. Sprenger also triumphed with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Cal Lu's Hanna Levanen.

In doubles, Sprenger and Beckman dropped their opener to top seeds Marissa Markey and Angie Zhou of Pomona before bouncing back in the consolation bracket with an 8-1 win over Redlands's Sherwood and Rojas. They will play in the Consolation quarters on Saturday against another Redlands pair in Kiana Brady and Christine O'Brien.

The tournament resumes tomorrow with Azzi and Sprenger in the Quarterfinals. Daniela Christian and Jolie Seemayer open singles play tomorrow in the Quarterfinal Round of their flight.