By Tim Heiduk
 
(SAN DIEGO) Westmont women's tennis returned to the court on Wednesday at the ITA NAIA West Regional for the first time since having its 2020 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Two Westmont doubles teams advanced to Friday's quarterfinals, while Rachal Jackson is the lone remaining Warrior in singles.
 
Jackson, the sixth seed in singles, received a first-round bye before defeating 11th-seeded McKenna Mountain of St. Katherine in the second round: 6-4, 7-6. Jackson will face the third seed, San Diego Christian's Angela Rinaldi, in Friday's quarterfinals at 10:15 a.m.
 
Jackson also advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles, as she and Olivia Madarang, the fourth-seeded doubles duo, received a first-round bye. They will match up against Warrior teammates Emily Peterson and Sidney Lowry, the fifth seed, for the right to advance to the semifinals. Peterson and Lowry won their first round match, 8-0, against the 12th-seeded pairing from St. Katherine.
 
In singles, Peterson and Lowry both won their first round matches before falling in the second round. Peterson, the eighth seed, defeated 25th-seeded Arissa Diaz of St. Katherine (6-1, 6-0), but then lost to ninth-seeded Tomi Felix-Chavez of San Diego Christian (3-6, 2-6).
 
Lowry, seeded 12th, beat the 21st seed, San Diego Christian's Angelika Sidirov: 6-2, 7-6 (3). She then fell short in the second round, losing to fifth-seeded Valentina Sottile, also of San Diego Christian: 1-6, 0-6.
 
Madarang, the seventh seed, was the other Warrior to play in the singles second round. After receiving a first-round bye, Madarang fell to 10th-seeded Deondra Bacchus of Arizona Christian: 1-6, 1-6.
 
Ana Negri, the 20th seed, lost in the first round to the 13th seed, Hope International's Samantha Paz (1-6, 2-6). Logan Jackson, seeded 22nd, also fell in the first round, losing to Mountain (0-6, 2-6). Negri and Logan Jackson combined in doubles as the ninth seed, but lost to the eighth-seeded pairing from Arizona Christian, 2-8.
 
The ITA NAIA West Regional, which concludes on Saturday, is being hosted by San Diego Christian at the Barnes Tennis Center.