SAN DIEGO – Hawai'i Pacific women's tennis pushed No. 17 Point Loma to the brink in Monday's NCAA West Regional matchup, but the Sharks came up just short in a 4-3 battle at the PLNU Tennis Courts.

HPU, ranked No. 49 nationally and No. 3 in the region, opened strong by claiming the doubles point. The No. 1 duo of Annika Hakovirta and Sayda Hernandez delivered a 6-3 win over Point Loma's top pair, followed by a gritty 6-4 victory from Emily Castillo and Evi Roobol at No. 2 to secure the early advantage.

In singles play, the Sharks and Sea Lions traded blows in a tightly contested match. Jayanne Palma dominated on Court 5 with a 6-1, 6-1 win, while Emily Castillo continued her stellar form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 3.

However, the Sea Lions rallied behind their home crowd. Point Loma claimed wins at No. 6 and No. 4 to even the score, before Alina Kupfer edged out Evi Roobol in a thrilling tiebreak at the top flight, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). In the decisive match, Arianna Audelo battled back to defeat Sayda Hernandez in three sets, sealing the 4-3 result for Point Loma.

The loss ends HPU's season at 11-12 overall, capping off a hard-fought campaign under head coach Dan Pollock.