Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Highlanders honored student-athlete Tia Elpusan pregame at SRC Tennis Courts before the graduating senior took to Court 1 to face Petra Melounova, battling the three-time conference player of the year to a 4-6 3-6 defeat as UC Riverside was swept by Hawai'i, 0-4 on Sunday.
 
Elpusan, set to graduate this spring with a degree in neuroscience, demonstrated the same leadership that defined her career as a Highlander Sunday against Leounova. "Tia is an amazing person," said head coach Mark Henry. "She has made the tennis program and UCR better in her time here."
 
Earlier in singles, Serina Saltzen fell to Alexis Merrill, 1-6 2-6, followed by Han Pham's 1-6 1-6 loss to Bojana Markovic.
 
The Highlanders began the day in doubles play, where Tran and Saltzen were defeated, 0-6,  by Merrill and Lea Romaine, before Mahil Silpachi and Nathalie Shamma lost to NAME Takamura and Nikola Dolakova, 3-6
 
The Big West Women's Tennis Championship is up next for the Highlanders, who are seeded eighth and will face top seed UC Santa Barbara starting Thursday at 8:30 a.m. PT in Match 1. The event runs through Saturday, May 1, at Irvine Great Park.