Cal Ends Season As Giavara Falls In NCAA Singles

URBANA, Ill. – The 2021-22 season wound to a close for the California women's tennis team on Wednesday when Haley Giavara lost in the NCAA Singles Championship round of 16. Ranked 63rd, Giavara fell to Pepperdine's 27th-ranked Lisa Zaar, 7-5, 6-2, indoors at the Atkins Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
 
A junior from San Diego, Giavara ends her season with a 17-15 singles record, a spot on the All-Pac-12 second team and the second singles All-America honor of her career. She was an integral member of a Golden Bear squad that reached the round of 16 in the NCAA team tournament and captured the Pac-12 regular-season title and top seed in the Pac-12 Championship. Giavara also claimed a No. 38 doubles ranking with Valentina Ivanov.

"This year has gone well on a personal level," Giavara said. "As a team, what we've been saying since last Pac-12s last year is that we're 'happy not satisfied.' It's a perfect way to describe our season. We're happy with our results and being ranked 11th now, but we're not satisfied. We won the Pac-12 regular season, but I want to win the Pac-12 tournament and regular season. I have high expectations and high goals for next season."

"Haley's really had an outstanding season," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "This is really her first full season, as a junior, and she's a two-time All-American and she's one of the top players in college tennis. She's a great student in the classroom and a great teammate on and off the court."
 
Cal's 71st-ranked Jessica Alsola joined Giavara in NCAA singles in Illinois, with the freshman falling in the round of 64. Another All-Pac-12 second-team selection, the Fresno product ended her season with a 32-10 singles record and led the Bears with singles wins. Additionally, she was ranked twice in doubles – at No. 59 with Erin Richardson and at No. 90 with Katja Wiersholm.
 
"Jessica is probably been the least talked about but had the most singles wins on the team this season, made the All-Pac-12 team, made NCAAs, was ranked in singles and was ranked in doubles with two different partners," Augustus said. "Jessica's a great fit at Cal and is another outstanding student. She had an amazing first season, and that's one of the reasons why she'll be one of the top returning players nationally.
 
"We really enjoy working with this group, and we're looking forward to them continuing to improve and win championships."
 
NCAA Singles Championship
May 25, 2022, in Urbana, Illinois
Atkins Tennis Center
 
Round of 16
No. 27 Lisa Zaar (Pepperdine) def. No. 63 Haley Giavara (Cal), 7-5, 6-2