HOUSTON — Rallying after dropping the doubles point, the #16 Pepperdine women's tennis team used four singles wins to beat Rice 4-1 on Saturday afternoon.

The Waves (3-5) battled windy conditions throughout the match with the Owls (5-3) but clinched the match with sophomore #80 Vivian Yang's three-set victory at the third position. Elsewhere in singles, freshman Alexia Harmon and senior #16 Savannah Broadus won in straight sets, while freshman Anastasiia Grechkina improved to 6-0 with her three-set singles win.

Although Pepperdine struck first in the doubles point with Harmon and Grechkina's 6-4 win at the second position, the Owls pulled a big upset at the first position before clinching the doubles point at the third position. However, the Waves bounced back in singles play by winning five first sets.

On court five, Harmon got Pepperdine on the board with her 6-1, 6-4 win over Allison Zipoli. The Pepperdine freshman broke Zipoli on deciding point for a 3-1 lead and didn't look back to win the first set 6-1. Playing in a closer second set, Harmon and Zipoli traded breaks midway through the second set, and Zipoli put the match back on serve by consolidating the break in the seventh game. Yet Harmon eventually prevailed and served out the match for her fifth-consecutive singles win.

Shortly after Harmon got Pepperdine on the board, #16 Broadus rallied from a second-set deficit against Darya Schwartzman on court one. The Pepperdine All-American won her first set 6-1, but Schwartzman responded by taking a double-break lead in the fourth game. With Broadus serving down 4-1, the senior held serve and broke Schwartzman to make the score 4-3. Although Schwartzman broke back for a 5-3 lead, Broadus broke back to put the match on serve and won a decisive break point in the 11th game before serving out her 6-1, 7-5 victory.

With all remaining matches heading to the third set, the Waves saw Grechkina keep her unbeaten record in college play intact with her 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 win at the second position. In the final set, Grechkina broke Divna Ratkovic in the fourth game for a 4-1 lead, which ultimately was the difference-maker in her match.

As Pepperdine led 3-1, #80 Yang clinched her first match of the season with her 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Nithesa Selvaraj on court three. Yang and Selvaraj traded breaks midway through the third set before Yang broke Selvaraj in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead. After consolidating the break, Yang broke Selvaraj for the match in the ninth game to give Pepperdine its second-straight win.

When Yang clinched the match, freshman Duru Soke pushed her match to a third set, while freshman Sebastianna Scilipoti was in the third set of her collegiate debut.

RESULTS

Singles
1. #16 Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. Darya Schwartzman (RICE) 6-1, 7-5
2. Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) def. Divna Ratkovic (RICE) 6-1, 1-6, 6-3
3. #80 Vivian Yang (PEPP) def. Nithesa Selvaraj (RICE) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
4. Francesca Maguina (RICE) vs. Sebastianna Scilipoti (PEPP) 6-0, 5-7, 2-1, unfinished
5. Alexia Harmon (PEPP) def. Allison Zipoli (RICE) 6-1, 6-4
6. Fernanda Martinez (RICE) vs. #108 Duru Soke (PEPP) 4-6, 7-6 (5), unfinished

Order of finish: 1,2,6,5*

Doubles
1. #85 Darya Schwartzman/Fernanda Martinez (RICE) def. #7 Savannah Broadus/Vivian Yang (PEPP) 6-3
2. Alexia Harmon/Anastasiia Grechkina (PEPP) def. Divna Ratkovic/Nithesa Selvaraj (RICE) 6-4
3. Francesca Maguina/Saara Orav (RICE) def. Duru Soke/Sebastianna Scilipoti (PEPP) 7-5

Order of finish: 1,2,3*