The BYU women’s tennis team came away with one win this weekend and the BYU men’s tennis team extended its winning streak by winning both its matches.
The women traveled to Boise, Idaho, to play the University of Texas Arlington and Boise State.
The Cougars started out strong in doubles, first senior Megan Price and sophomore Deisree Tran won, 8-6. The Mavericks evened the match on court three defeating BYU’s Aubrey Paul and Andie Young 8-6. This was Young’s first match this season after receiving injuries to her foot and ankle during the fall. BYU secured the doubles point in freshmen Meghan Sheehan-Dizon and Morgan Anderson in a 9-7 tiebreaker.
Despite their strong start the Cougars dropped the match in singles play. Price put up a Cougar win on court three, but the Mavericks took the rest of the matches to win 5-2.
On Saturday, BYU bounced back against regional rival Boise State to take the match 5-2.
“We came out strong today and ready to play,” BYU coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said in a press release. “Boise is a great team and it was a great win today, especially playing on their home court.”
Again the Cougars started the match by winning the doubles point. The Broncos got the first win on court two, Morgan Basil and Sandy Vo topped Sheehan-Dizon and Anderson 8-6. But Cougar Duos Price and Tran on court one and Paul and Young on court three defeated their Bronco opponents, both 8-4, to earn BYU the doubles point.
In singles play Paul was first off the court with a 6-2, 6-1 Cougar win. Freshman Lisa Waldron was off the courts next with a 7-6, 6-0 win over Kaitlyn Brown. Sheehan-Dizon secured BYU the match win in a 6-2, 7-5 win and Price gave BYU it’s last point with 7-6, 6-3 win over Vo.
The Broncos got on the board in the last two matches, Marlena Pietzuch fought to beat Tran in a tie breaker 6-3, 4-6, 10-4 win and Sonia Klamczynska brought down Anderson 7-5, 7-6.
The Cougars return to Utah to play in-state rival the University of Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City.
The BYU men’s tennis team has extended its win streak to seven straight wins. The Cougars first took on the University of Pacific, and took the match 5-2.
“Today we did what we had to do to win,” BYU coach Brad Pearce said in a press release.
BYU started the match strong sweeping the Tigers in doubles play to earn the doubles point.
In singles play three Cougars were off the court first with wins. Francis Sargeant, No. 54 Georgy Batrakov, and Michael Eraso each won in straight sets. Eraso’s win on court six gave secured BYU the match win.
The Tigers put points on the board in Ben Mirkin, defeating Spencer Smith 6-2, 6-3 and Alex Golding, defeating freshman Keaton Cullimore in a close, hard fought 7-6, 7-6 win.
BYU’s Patrick Kawka wrapped up the match in the only match pushed to three sets. Kawka came back after dropping the first set to win 4-6, 6-0, 7-6.
BYU came back out the next day to take on regional rival New Mexico. Defeating the No. 46 Lobos puts the Cougars at 10-5 on the season and keeps them undefeated in the Mountain Region for the third straight year.
“The guys were aware of what we were striving to accomplish,” Pearce said. “It was our last match in regional play this year. They embraced what was at stake and I’m so proud of our guys and how they fight for each other and prepare like professionals.”
Batrakov and Kawka on court one and Smith and Sargeant on court two secured BYU the doubles point.
In singles play the Cougars came within one point of clinching the match as Batrakov and Smith both won in straight sets. The Lobos tried to come back, putting up two straight wins on court two and five defeating Kawka and Sargeant. But Eraso put his match away on court six 6-4, 6-4 to seal BYU’s seventh straight win. This is the third consecutive match that Eraso has given BYU the match win.
Pearce said he was pleased with Eraso’s performances and with his team’s as a whole.
Cullimore wrapped up the match in a close 7-5, 6-4 win over Samir Iftikhar.
The Cougars start West Coast Conference play next weekend against Santa Clara and San Francisco.
