| Box Score 2 RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The UC Riverside Highlanders women's tennis team returned to the SRC Tennis courts to host a slew of home matches after a couple rain delays and a relatively quiet last week. The squad squeezed in a match against Villanova on Monday, March 3, resulting in a close 4-3 defeat, after being rained out on Sunday, March 2. Before hosting Villanova, the Highlanders last match was a February 21 bout against Long Beach State. The Highlanders fell to the Beach with a final score of 5-0. Entering this week's competitions, the Highlanders had a 3-5 overall record and a 0-2 record in the Big West.
 
On March 4, the Highlanders hosted Utah State in the afternoon, ultimately dropping the match 4-0. Utah State clinched the doubles point with 6-1 wins in the #1 and #2 flights. The clinch format match would be over after Utah snagged wins in the #1, #3 and #4 singles flights. 
 
Coach Mark Henry commented, "Utah State is a very solid team. We played very well in the #2 and #5 spots where we were about to win when the decision was made."
 
On March 5, the Ball State University Cardinals traveled to the Inland Empire from Muncie, Ind. to take on the Highlanders. The Cardinals would snag the doubles from behind after Tia Elpusan and Sara Khattab won the #1 flight 6-1. Ball State victories in the #2 and #3 spots secured the doubles point, which would ultimately win the match for Ball State. The Highlanders and Cardinals would split the singles points right down the middle, with the doubles point sending Ball State home with the 4-3 victory.
 
Mahli Silpachai and Tia Elpusan would claim wins in the #1 and #2 spots with 6-3, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-3 wins respectively. Hahn Pham would clinch the #5 flight with a 6-4, 7-5 decision, however it wouldn't be enough to overcome the Cardinal's early lead off doubles.
 
Despite the final score, Coach Henry liked what he saw, saying, "This was a very tough loss, but probably the best match this team has played this year."
 
The Highlanders drop to 3-7 overall, and hit the courts again Saturday, March 7 at 11 AM against Colorado State.