BERKELEY – The 10th-ranked California women's tennis team got off to a great start in its nonconference match against 16th-ranked Pepperdine on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex, capturing the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. But the Golden Bears would go on to drop four of five singles matches – with All-American Berta Passola Folch posting the lone win – to fall to the Waves 4-2.
 
Cal's record now stands at 5-3 after its first regular-season meeting with Pepperdine this year; the Waves are 9-3. The two teams play again one week from Sunday in Malibu.
 
In doubles at Hellman, the Bears' Mille Johanna Moerk and Naomi Xu defeated the Waves' Duru Soke and Shihomi Leong 6-1 on court three, and then the duo of Passola Folch and Sophie Hernandez beat Anastasiia Grechkina and Chantal Sauvant 6-3 on court two to clinch the doubles point.
 
After Pepperdine won early in singles to tie the match 1-1, 11th-ranked Passola Folch bested 43rd-ranked Ziva Falkner 6-1, 6-3 on court one to give Cal a 2-1 lead.
 
But Cal lost the next two matches to give the Waves a 3-2 advantage.
 
With Cal sophomore Anya Murthy – who was celebrating her birthday Sunday – leading Alexia Harmon 5-7, 6-2, 3-2 on court six and potentially representing the clinching win for the Bears, Cilekova was battling in her own three-setter on court three. The Cal freshman ultimately fell to 10th-ranked Grechkina 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 to end the match.
 
"We were a little short-handed," Cal interim head coach Kris Kwinta said. "We didn't have Johanne Svendsen and Naomi couldn't play in singles. It's tough without some of your top players, but it is what it is. You've got to compete, and I'm extremely proud of this team. We have some players that haven't seen a lot of action, with Sophie stepping up in doubles with Berta and playing unbelievably. I thought that was impressive. Good job by Naomi also in doubles. She hadn't played in a while, but she played well with Mille. I was impressed with doubles and I was impressed with the competitive spirit in singles.
 
"A couple of first sets didn't go our way in singles and that kind of switched the momentum. But it was a great performance by Berta and a great performance by Laura, who is probably about 60% right now. For her to put a fight like that against a talented team was impressive. Anya had an unbelievable second set that gave us a chance and was up 3-2 in the third. We saw the Bears fight till the end. It didn't go our way, but we're going to get another chance at Pepperdine next week. We know what to expect. Overall today I'm happy with the team and proud of their fight."
 
Cal hits the road to take on No. 53 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday before facing the Waves on March 15.
 
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