HONOLULU, Hawai`i--Anouk van Hoek captured a singles victory and teamed with Carmelle Joyner to come close in doubles but overall the battle was won by No. 7 ranked Hawai`i Pacific during the rubber match between UH Hilo and the Sharks on Sunday on Oahu.

The teams split two matches back in February, but today it was HPU winning in straight sets or claiming two of the three marathon three-set battles. The win puts the Sharks at 3-1 on the season while UHH is now 5-5.

van Hoek won on singles court six in one of the trio of three-set matches on the afternoon. She topped Rikona Murakami by winning the first set in a tiebreaker, dropped the second set and then won a tight third set super tiebreaker (7-6, 2-6, 10-7). She and Joyner were down a break in doubles (5-4) when the team doubles point was clinched, ending their match.

Two other singles matches went the distance and then some. Hannah Highsmith dropped a fight with Marta Rsuzcynska on court five, 6-2, 2-6, 10-5, and then in the final match of the day, HPU's Elodie Busson and UHH's Hikari Osaki engaged in an epic battle on court two. Busson, who was ranked No. 2 in the west region in 2020, took the first set 6-4, but Osaki stayed alive with a second set tiebreaker win, 7-6 (7-4). Playing in the Super Tiebreaker format (first player to 10 points wins), the two played overtime and then some with Busson eventually prevailing, 20-18. In all, the two warriors played 49 tiebreaker points, where neither player led by more than a point until Busson clinched. 

The Vulcans will now begin preparations for the Pacific West Conference Championships, hosted in Surprise, Arizona, April 21-24. 

No. 7 Hawai`i Pacific 6, UH Hilo 1
Central Oahu Regional Park, Honolulu, Hawaii

SINGLES
1. Marlene Tilgner (HPU) def. Sandra Dafincescu (UHH), 6-0, 6-1.
2. Elodie Busson (HPU) def. Hikari Osaki (UHH), 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 20-18.
3. Valentina Mokrova (HPU) def. Carolina Alfonsin (UHH), 6-2, 6-2.
4. Nicole Ballach (HPU) def. Carmelle Joyner (UHH), 6-0, 6-2.
5. Marta Ruszcynska (HPU) def. Hannah Highsmith (UHH), 6-3, 2-6, 10-5.
6. Anouk van Hoek (UHH) def. Rikona Murakami (HPU), 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 10-7.
Order of Finish: 1-3-4-5-6-2.

DOUBLES
1. Tilgner/Mihoki Miyahara (HPU) def. Alfonsin/Highsmith (UHH), 6-2.
2. Busson/Mokrova vs. van Hoek/Joyner (UHH), 5-4, UNF.
3. Ruszcynska/Ballach (HPU) def. Dafincescu/Osaki (UHH), 6-2.
Order of Finish: 3-1

TEAM RECORDS
No. 7 Hawaii Pacific 3-1, UH Hilo 5-5