MALIBU, Calif. – The #7 Pepperdine women's tennis team dominated Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center once again on Sunday afternoon, defeating Denver 4-0 to win the team's ITA Kick-Off Weekend Championships location. 
 
With the win, the Waves (2-0) will advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, which will be played at Washington in Seattle from February 7-10. 
 
RESULTS
Singles
1: #106 Ashley Lahey (PEPP) vs. #89 Bianca Mok (DU) – 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
2: #17 Evgeniya Levashova (PEPP) def. #85 Arisha Ladhani (DU) – 6-4, 6-3
3: #28 Jessica Failla (PEPP) vs. Anna Riedmiller (DU) – 6-4, 4-2, unfinished
4: Adrijana Lekaj (PEPP) def. Tatum Burger (DU) – 6-2, 6-4
5: Satsuki Takamura (PEPP) def. Camille Verden-Anderson (DU) – 6-3, 6-3
6: Dzina Milovanovic (PEPP) vs. Toni Nelson (DU) – 7-5, 3-3, unfinished
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 2*
 
Doubles
1: #1 Ashley Lahey/Evgeniya Levashova (PEPP) def. Bianca Mok/Camille Verden-Anderson (DU) – 6-2
2: #43 Jessica Failla/Anastasia Iamachkine (PEPP) def. Anna Riedmiller/Tatum Burger (DU) – 6-4
3: Dzina Milovanovic/Adrijana Lekaj (PEPP) vs. Arisha Ladhani/Toni Nelson (DU) – 5-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 2*
 
NOTABLES

• With the victory today, Pepperdine has earned a bid to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Seattle, Wash. on February 7-10.
• Pepperdine has posted a 37-2 record at home the past four seasons, including the current campaign.
• Satsuki Takamura, Adrijana Lekaj and Evgeniya Levashova have each won two-straight matches within the past two duals.  They are the only Waves to have won in dual action this season thus far.
• Levashova picked up her first clinch of the season today against Denver.
• Ashley Lahey and Evgeniya Levashova are currently ranked #1 in the Oracle/ITA doubles rankings.  The duo has posted two dual wins this season and have gone 11-2 overall.
• The Waves are now 6-0 in dual singles action and 4-0 in doubles play collectively.  In doubles, Pepperdine has gone 8-2 against ranked opponents, while they are an even 15-15 in singles matches against ranked competition.
• Lekaj and Levashova lead the Waves with 15 wins overall this season.
• Anastasia Iamachkine has also reached the double-digit singles win mark with 10 this season, all from tournament play.

 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
After starting the match an hour late due to a long first ITA Kick-Off Weekend consolation match between UNLV and Oregon, Pepperdine came out strong and ready to win. 
 
The Waves busted out into doubles, commanding a 6-2 from #1 Ashley Lahey and Evgeniya Levashova on court one over Bianca Mok and Camille Verden-Anderson to put the team on the right track.  #43 Jessica Failla and Anastasia Iamachkine followed up with a 6-4 win over Anna Riedmiller and Tatum Burger on court two to clinch the doubles point and send Pepperdine into singles with the advantage.
 
In singles, Satsuki Takamura made quick work of Verden-Anderson with a pair of 6-3 set wins on court five to put the Waves up by two.  Adrijana Lekaj would be close behind, taking down Tatum Burger in the No. 4 position after winning 6-2 and 6-4 sets to give Pepperdine an option to clinch.
 
#17 Levashova would be the one to clinch the overall dual 4-0 sweep for the Waves, amassing a 6-4, 6-3 wi over #85 Arisha Ladhani.
 
ITA KICK-OFF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 11th annual Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kick-Off Weekend takes place January 25-28, 2019, at 24 different Division I tennis facilities across the country. In all, there are 60 teams competing per gender in ITA Kick-Off Weekend events. There are 15 "regionals" played on both the men's and women's side, with four teams competing in each regional. The winners of the single-elimination event advance to next month's ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships. Washington (women's) and Illinois (men's) will serve as hosts for the National Team Indoors and received automatic invitations to the event, and are exempt from competing in the Kick-Off Weekend.
 
NEXT UP
Next, the Waves will host Cal at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 1 at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.  As a result of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend win today, Pepperdine has also earned a bid into the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Seattle, Wash. at Washington on February 7-10.
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves all season @WavesTennis on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Check for schedules, results and recaps on www.PepperdineWaves.com