KAILUA-KONA, Hawai'i – No. 4 Hawai'i Pacific University restarted the 2018 season in a good way, picking up two victories over regional opponents at the Houla Tennis Center this holiday weekend.
 
The No. 4 Sharks (4-0) defeated No. 9 UC San Diego 7-0 on Sunday, then followed with a 7-2 win against host Hawai'i Hilo on Monday afternoon.
 
The Sharks won all but two sets in Sunday's match with UC San Diego, and those two positions did not finish the match as HPU won 7-0.
 
HPU swept all three doubles points against UH Hilo, and won four of the six singles points for the 7-2 win.
 
In the Sunday match with No. 9 UC San Diego, HPU swept the doubles positions with the No. 11 team of Lara Meccico and Barbora Kijasova beating Alexandra Weil and Madison Hale 8-4 at the No. 2 position. HPU's No. 1 squad of Lena Lutzeier and Oceane Adam downed Ashley Chao and Becky Chou 8-3, while the No. 3 team of Heloise Le Normand and Leticia Gonzales dos Santos defeated Nousha Nowamooz and Chole Wight 8-5.
 
In singles, No. 9 Lutzeier had no problem beating Chao 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 1 position, as 10th ranked Meccico handled Chou 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2, and 21st ranked Adam beat Weil 7-5, 6-1 at No. 3. Debora Echeverria took the No. 6 spot by beating Jessica Cramer 6-1, 6-1. Kijasova split sets with Jasmine Hosseini at the No. 4 spot 2-6, 6-3, but the point was left unfinished at 4-4 in the tiebreaker. At No. 5, Le Normand lost set one to 40th ranked Valeria Corral 6-1, and was ahead 4-3 in the second when the match was called.
 
Against UH Hilo, Lutzeier/Adam downed Daniela Sanz/Devanshi Bhimjivani 8-2 at No. 1 doubles, while 11th ranked Meccico/Kijasova handed Marina Colvee/Carmelle Joyner an 8-5 loss at No. 2 and Le Normand/dos Santos beat Irena Le/Sara Marin 8-6.
 
The Sharks took the top three singles spots, with ninth ranked Lutzeier blitzing 38th Sanz 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1, 10th ranked Meccico going three with Bhimjivani 6-1, 3-6, 10-7, and 21st ranked Adam over Colvee 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3. Echeverria also won for HPU at No. 6 by ripping Le 6-1, 6-0.
 
UH Hilo collected wins at No. 4 with Marin beating Kijasova in three 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 10-6, and Joyner handing Le Normand a 6-4, 6-2 loss at No. 5.
 
The Sharks return to the court next Monday, Feb. 26, when they face Chaminade in an 11 a.m. match on the courts at Ala Moana Park.