Malibu, Calif. – Despite rain delays, the #5 Pepperdine women's tennis team gritted down after dropping the doubles point to claim four singles wins en route to a 4-2 win over #17 USC for the ITA Championship crown on Monday afternoon.
 
The Waves and Trojans hit the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center to start the day, but rain once again got in the way during doubles, forcing a brief pause and a relocation to the Crest Courts.  It wouldn't stop the Waves from rolling past the Trojans in singles however, with top-ranked senior Ashley Lahey delivering the final three-set clinch.
 
With the victory, the Waves will advance to the ITA National Indoors Championship in February.
 
RESULTS:
ITA Kickoff Weekend
Championship Match
Pepperdine def. USC 4-2
 
Singles
1. #33 Jessica Failla (PEPP) def. #48 Eryn Cayetano (USC) - 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
2. #1 Ashley Lahey (PEPP) def. #103 Naomi Cheong (USC) - 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4
3. #12 Shiori Fukuda (PEPP) def. Salma Ewing (USC) - 6-4, 6-1
4. Danielle Willson (USC) def. #45 Lexi Ryngler (PEPP) - 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
5. #88 Taisiya Pachkaleva (PEPP) def. Summer Dvorak (USC) - 7-5, 6-1
6. Lisa Zaar (PEPP) vs. Clare McKee (USC) - 6-5, uf
 
Doubles
1. #12 Angela Kulikov/Eryn Cayetano (USC) def. Jessica Failla/Taisiya Pachkaleva (PEPP) - 6-2
2. Salma Ewing/Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Shiori Fukuda/Astrid Olsen (PEPP) - 7-6 (4)
3. Ashley Lahey/Nikki Redelijk (PEPP) def. Summer Dvorak/Clare McKee (USC) - 7-5
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2*
 
RECAP
After trekking to the Crest Courts and resuming play, USC clinched the doubles point, but not without hard-fought battles to change the momentum heading into singles.  With the point on the line and all eyes on court two, play went into a tiebreak.  It went point-for-point to start the action, but USC was eventually able to gain the edge and pull ahead.
 
The Waves were ready and fired up heading into singles, however, but with only three first-set wins still had some work to do.  #12 Fukuda took her opponent Ewing swiftly in two sets 6-4, 6-1 to tie things up on court three.  #88 Pachkaleva also did her job early in the No. 5 position, securing a 7-5, 6-1 win over Dvorak.
 
Matches on courts one, two and four extended to third sets, while  Zaar on court six got underway late due to courts with available lighting.  USC tied things up with a win on court four, but the Waves would start getting loud shortly after.
 
On court one, #33 Failla started off with a 6-2 win before #44 Cayetano took set two 6-3 to force a third.  The Wave would stand tall late in the set, overcoming the opposition for a 7-5 final set victory, inching the Waves closer to victory.
 
Lahey had fallen in her first set, but in tried-and-true Lahey fashion, rallied back in the second set for an outstanding 7-6 (5) tiebreak victory.  She carried the edge into the third set, defeating #103 Cheong 6-4 to clinch the title for the home squad.