Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The UC Riverside Highlanders returned home to the SRC Tennis Courts following five matches in four days in Arizona, and emerged victorious against the UC San Diego Tritons on Saturday, January 26. This is the fourth time the Highlanders have faced the Tritons, and the first time they would defeat them since 2013. 
The Highlanders would only drop one Singles flight against the Tritons, defeating them in all three Doubles matches and taking Singles flights #1-5 on their path to a 1-6 victory. Pairs Daniel Velek and Andreas Whelan-Merediz captured #1 Doubles 6-3, followed by Nabil Abdallah and Gilbert Chung in the #2 spot, also defeating their opponents 6-3. Brothers Michael and Jayson Blando clinched #3 Doubles 6-4 to set the tone for the team as they entered their Singles flights undefeated.
The momentum continued and Coach Mattias Johansson's squad was able to clinch five of the six Singles matches to win the match against UCSD – a first for the Highlanders. Coach Johansson commented, "Another good win for our program against a team we have not beaten since 2013. We came out really strong in doubles and kept rolling in singles. If we can continue to have consistent performances like this from everyone, we will be a dangerous team this year for many opponents."
This weekend, the Highlanders head across the desert to UNLV for a two-day tournament where they will face Hawai'i, UNLV, New Mexico State and Southern Utah. The first match of the weekend will be Friday, January 31 against Hawai'i at 10 a.m., followed by a match later that afternoon against host, UNLV, at 2 p.m.