SAN DIEGO, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara's Kiersten Meehan swept a pair of matches on the first day of the USTA/ITA Regional Championship on Thursday, leading the Gaucho effort. 

In her first round match, Meehan battled through a tough two-set victory over Loyola Marymount's Jin Miya, 7-6, 6-4.  Shortly thereafter, she had to play Akllah James of Arizona, who had a first round bye, and after toughing out a 7-6(4) first set, Meehan won the second set in easy fashion, 6-1.  She will now take-on Katarina Poljakova of Hawai'i, who had a first round bye before defeating Sara Cantlay of Long Beach State in the second round.

Meehan was the only Gaucho to win a match on Thursday.  Erica Cano, who was byed into the second round, dropped a 6-1, 6-3 decision to Michela Casanova of San Diego State.  Priscilla Garcia also received a bye into the second round where she was blanked by USC's Sabrina Santamaria, 6-0, 6-0.

The rest of the UCSB players lost first round matches.  April Scatliffe lost 6-2, 6-3 to Laura Antonana-Iriarte, also of SDSU, 6-2, 6-3. Paola Cos dropped a tough two-setter to University of San Diego's marta Stojanovic, 6-4, 7-6, while Stacy Yam was swept by UC Irvine's Marvick Mamlit, 6-0, 6-0.  

All three UCSB doubles teams had first round byes.  The teams that will see action on Friday are Meehan/Cos, Scatliffe/Garcia and Cano/Yam.