UC Irvine Wins Its Fourth PCAA Title in Five Years

The UC Irvine men’s tennis team won its fourth Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. championship in five years on Sunday at Cal State Fullerton.

The Anteaters scored 36 points to defeat Cal State Long Beach (32) and UC Santa Barbara (26). San Jose State (22) was fourth, Fresno State (19) fifth, Nevada Las Vegas (10) sixth, University of the Pacific (6) seventh, New Mexico State (1) and Utah State (1) tied for eighth and Fullerton (0) finished 10th.

Irvine’s Bruce Man Son Hing, the PCAA’s Athlete of the Year, defeated Long Beach’s Peter Smith, 7-5, 0-6, 6-0 to win the No. 1 singles championship. Anteater Julian Barham beat 49er Vince Horcasitas, 6-2, 6-1, to win the No. 4 singles title and UCI’s Neil Amor defeated Long Beach’s Mitch Bridge, 7-5, 6-3, to win the No. 6 singles championship.

In other singles play, San Jose’s Mark Murphy defeated Santa Barbara’s Gus Anderson, 6-3, 6-1, to win the No. 2 title, Long Beach’s Steve Cluse beat Fresno’s Jean LeCler, 6-1, 6-4, to win the No. 3 championship and 49er Craig Miller defeated Anteater Art Hernandez, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to win the No. 5 title.

In doubles action, UCI’s Hernandez and Ken Derr defeated Fresno’s Eric Seigle and Vinnie Giudicelli, 6-2, 6-3, to win the No. 3 championship.

In other doubles play, San Jose’s Murphy and Dave Kuhn beat Santa Barbara’s Anderson and Jon Nissley, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, for the No. 1 title and UCSB’s Chris Russell and John Washer (a former Corona del Mar High School star) defeated Fresno’s Chato Elgorriaga and LeClercq, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, to win the No. 2 title.

Irvine’s Greg Patton was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

The UCI women’s tennis team lost to Santa Barbara, 5-4, to finish third in the PCAA women’s championships at Stockton.

Pacific won the team title and UCSB was second. Hawaii finished fourth.

The Gauchos won five of six singles matches before the Anteaters came back to sweep the doubles. Sophomore Stephanie Rhorer, the PCAA’s Player of the Year, got UCI’s only singles win with a 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory over Leslie Lipson at No. 1 singles.