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ROCHESTER, Mich. – The Oakland women’s tennis team heads west to face the University of Redlands and UC Irvine in California on March 3 and 4 as part of its annual spring break trip.

Oakland (2-7) last competed on Feb. 21, falling 4-3 to Davenport (7-1) after being forced to forfeit two points by default. The defeat extended the Golden Grizzlies’ winless stretch, as their most recent victory came against Dayton in early February.

Despite this setback, several athletes have found success on the court. Juniors Edie Hammond and Emilia Jarvinen are on a 4-0 run since moving to the No. 1 doubles court, and both are above .500 in singles play this season, along with freshman Oliwia Klimas.

This marks the second straight year that Oakland will make this cross-country trip. Last season, the Golden Grizzlies split the matches, earning a 5-2 win over the University of Redlands before falling 7-0 to UC Irvine.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

The University of Redlands (3-2) opened the winter season with three straight wins before dropping its last two, all at home at the Coach Jim Verdieck Tennis Center. In their most recent match, the Bulldogs fell 4-1 to No. 17 Azusa Pacific, with play on the No. 3 and 6 courts left unfinished. Redlands’ lone point came from junior Maegan Deng on the No. 1 court, who remains undefeated in singles play this season.

This is the second meeting between the programs, following last year’s matchup in California. In that 5-2 victory, Jarvinen and sophomore Nisa Bulut earned 6-4 wins with their respective doubles partners. Bulut (6-4, 6-2) and fellow sophomore Martyna Piechowicz (6-2, 6-2) also recorded singles victories. 

SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS

UC Irvine (5-4) enters the week on a three-match win streak, with victories over Portland, Pacific, and Occidental. Oakland is the second of five opponents the Anteaters will host in a nine-day homestand at Anteater Tennis Stadium, which also includes Bowling Green, Seton Hall, Colorado State, and Richmond.

During last year’s California trip, Oakland faced UC Irvine for the first time, with the Anteaters sweeping the match, 7-0. The Golden Grizzlies battled throughout, with Bulut and Piechowicz pushing their singles matches into extra sets in an effort to get Oakland on the board. 

With most of the Golden Grizzlies’ roster having faced both teams last year, Oakland looks to earn some wins and build on its performances from last season’s trip.

Results from Oakland’s matches against the University of Redlands and UC Irvine will be posted on goldengrizzlies.com once completed.

How to Follow Oakland Women’s Tennis: For complete information on Oakland Women’s Tennis, follow the team on Instagram at @oaklandtennis_ and on X at @OaklandWTennis.