Long Beach State University Athletics
Saturday, January 31
Long Beach, Calif.
12 p.m.
Long Beach State University
3
vs
4
Grand Canyon
Long Beach State Drops Narrow 4-3 Decision To Grand Canyon
1/31/2026 4:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Beach women’s tennis secures doubles point and three singles wins in tightly contested home match
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State women's tennis battled down to the final court but came up just short in a 4-3 loss to Grand Canyon on Saturday at the Rhodes Tennis Center.
The Beach opened the match strong by claiming the doubles point. The No. 1 duo of Cecilia Costa and Paulina Franco set the tone with a 7-5 victory, followed by a 6-3 win at No. 2 from Johanna Hiesmair and Daria Malaescu to secure the early advantage.
In singles play, Long Beach State earned three points, highlighted by composed performances in the middle of the lineup. Pamela Badillo picked up a straight-set win at No. 3, defeating Hams Metwally 6-3, 6-4. Malaescu delivered one of the match's most competitive finishes at No. 4, rebounding after dropping the second set to close out a 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 victory over Gala Arangio.
The match ultimately hinged on several tightly contested three-set battles. Costa pushed Karina Hofbauer at No. 1 but fell 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Paulina Franco battled through three sets at No. 5 but ultimately fell 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, as Grand Canyon secured the decisive point to clinch the match.
Despite the narrow loss, the Beach showed depth across the lineup, competing point-for-point against a strong GCU squad and putting themselves in position until the final moments.
The Beach opened the match strong by claiming the doubles point. The No. 1 duo of Cecilia Costa and Paulina Franco set the tone with a 7-5 victory, followed by a 6-3 win at No. 2 from Johanna Hiesmair and Daria Malaescu to secure the early advantage.
In singles play, Long Beach State earned three points, highlighted by composed performances in the middle of the lineup. Pamela Badillo picked up a straight-set win at No. 3, defeating Hams Metwally 6-3, 6-4. Malaescu delivered one of the match's most competitive finishes at No. 4, rebounding after dropping the second set to close out a 6-1, 1-6, 6-0 victory over Gala Arangio.
The match ultimately hinged on several tightly contested three-set battles. Costa pushed Karina Hofbauer at No. 1 but fell 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Paulina Franco battled through three sets at No. 5 but ultimately fell 6–4, 4–6, 6–4, as Grand Canyon secured the decisive point to clinch the match.
Despite the narrow loss, the Beach showed depth across the lineup, competing point-for-point against a strong GCU squad and putting themselves in position until the final moments.
The Beach continue their homestand next week, hosting LMU on Friday at the Rhodes Tennis Center. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2
#1 Singles Match
123
Karina Hofbauer / 0 [GCU]
626
464
#2 Singles Match
12
Bella Crossman / 0 [GCU]
66
01
#3 Singles Match
12
Hams Metwally / 0 [GCU]
34
66
#4 Singles Match
123
Gala Arangio / 0 [GCU]
160
616
#5 Singles Match
123
Dania Deaifi / 0 [GCU]
646
464
#6 Singles Match
12
Peyton Duckett / 0 [GCU]
66
41
Order of Finish:
2,3,6,4,1,5
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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