KOHALA COAST, Hawai'i – No. 5 Hawai'i Pacific University was surprised in the first match and rolled through the second as HPU and Hawai'i Hilo split on Monday at the Fairmont Orchid Tennis Center.
 
The Sharks (1-1) got off to a slow start in the opening match against the Vulcans (3-1) as UH Hilo took the 4-3 win to start, but HPU came back for a 4-0 triumph in the nightcap.
 
UH Hilo took the doubles point winning at No. 1 and No. 3, while the Sharks claimed the No. 2 spot. The Vulcans Carolina Alfonsin and Hannah Highsmith defeated Elodie Busson and Valentina Mokorova 6-3 at No. 1, with Hikari Osaki and Sandra Dafincescu beat HPU's Rikona Murakami and Marta Ruszczynska 6-3 at No. 3. Sharks Marleen Tilgner and Nicole Ballach won at No. 2 against Anouk van Hoek and Carmelle Joyner 6-4.
 
The Sharks claimed three of the six singles positions in the opening match, but that team match came down to the No. 3 position where UHH's Alfonsin outlasted HPU's Mokorova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to win 4-3.
 
HPU took No. 1 with Tilgner downing Osaki 6-0, 7-6 (7-5), won at No. 2 as Busson beat Dafincescu 6-4, 6-4, and No. 6 with Ruszczynska over van Hoek 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. UH Hilo won at No. 4 as Joyner took out Murakami 6-3, 6-4, and at No. 5 with Highsmith taking a 6-1, 6-1 win against Ballach.
 
The Sharks stormed back in the second match of the day, taking the doubles point easily and holding the lead in the unfinished match. It started with Murakami/Ruszcyzynska rolled at No. 3 over van Hoek/Teramoto 6-1 just ahead of Tilgner/Ballach winning 6-1 at No. 2 against Osaki/Dafincescu. Busson/Mokorova led at No. 1 against Alfonsin/Highsmith 4-3 when the point was won.
 
In singles, the Sharks won the first three positions to decide the match, and led by a set in the three unfinished positions. Busson opened the rout at No. 2 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Dafincescu, just ahead of Tilgner's triumph at No. 1 over Osaki 6-0, 6-1. The match was won at No. 3 when Mokorova downed Alfonsin 6-3, 6-2. HPU was up at No. 4 with Ruszczynska holding a 6-3 lead against Highsmith, with Murakami leading van Hoek 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 at No. 5, and Ballach perched on beating Teramoto at No. 6, 6-3, 5-0.