Bears Fall To Waves In NCAA Doubles

Hannah Viller Moeller (left) and Mao Mushika (right) pushed the top team in the tournament to the limit before falling in the NCAA doubles first round.

WTEN5/21/2024 9:17 PM | By: Cal Athletics

STILLWATER, Okla. – California’s Hannah Viller Moeller and Mao Mushika pushed Pepperdine’s top-seeded Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen to the limit on Tuesday, but the 18th-ranked women’s tennis duo fell to the second-ranked Waves in a 3-6, 6-2, 1-0(13) result in the opening round of 32 of the NCAA Doubles Championship at the Greenwood Tennis Center. The Bears had three match points in the tiebreaker, but the Waves fended them off to prevail 15-13 and advance to the round of 16.
 
With the loss, the 2023-24 season officially came to an end for Cal.
 
“We played really well today and really smart,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “This is the fourth time Hannah and Mao have played them. Each time we’ve played them a little differently, and they did a fantastic job of executing the game plan we put together. It literally came down to a point or two. It was an outstanding match. We competed our brains out, and I couldn’t be prouder of the fight and level we played at today. It really was, in my opinion, pro level tennis. They did such a great job, and people need to realize what an outstanding season Hannah and Mao have had. They have had a really amazing year.“
 
Along with the end of the season, the match represented the conclusion of Viller Moeller’s college career. Valentina Ivanov – who fell in the NCAA Singles Championship round of 64 on Monday – also ended her Cal career in Stillwater.
 
“It’s really cool they both had their best season in their final season,” Augustus said. “From start to finish, with all the wins in singles and doubles, they both deserve to be All-Americans. They showed their quality on the court, and I couldn’t be prouder. They both have their Cal degrees now. We’re going to miss them, but they’ll continue to play tennis professionally, so it’s not an ending. They’ll both stay connected to the program in the future.”
 
With the return of several talented Bears including rising sophomore Mushika, rising seniors Jessica Alsola and Katja Wiersholm, who competed in NCAA singles, and more, the future looks good for the program.
 
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