LAS VEGAS, Nevada (March 25, 2006) -- The BYU women's tennis team suffered its fifth loss of the season Saturday, dropping a close match 4-3 to San Diego State in Las Vegas. The loss is the first conference loss in two years for the Cougars, as they went through last year's conference season undefeated, and drops the Cougars to 13-5. The win improves San Diego State to 11-4.
The Cougars started the match off strong and blew through the doubles point. The doubles duos didn't change for this match as they had in the past, and the continuity paid off. With 8-4, 8-2, and 8-0 victories, the Cougars had the one-point lead early.
At the outset of the singles half of the match, BYU looked to be on its way to victory. Jennifer Miccoli won in three-sets, 4-6, 6-1, 6-0, and Lauren Jones beat Aleysa Vidov 6-2, 6-4 for her eleventh victory of the season. The two victories gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead. But San Diego State wasn't finished, and the Aztecs came storming back. Milana Yusupov beat Sofia Holden in two sets, and Anastasia Sourkova lost a heart-breaking three-setter 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, allowing SDSU to knot the score at three. The match came down to No. 1 singles, and went down to the wire. No. 18 Olga Boulytcheva took set one 7-5, but dropped a tough second set 6-4. Both athletes performed well in the final set, but Dita Hauerlandova took the set 6-4, giving the Aztecs the 4-3 victory.
With a 1-1 conference record, the Cougars next face conference rival Utah on Saturday, April 1, in Salt Lake City. The match begins at noon.
SDSU 4 BYU 3
Doubles
1. Chang/Holden (BYU) def. Nielsen/Hauerlandova (SDSU) 8-4
2. Sourkova/Miccoli (BYU) def. Vidov/Krausova (SDSU) 8-2
3. Boulytcheva/Jones (BYU) def. Cadua/Yusupov (SDSU) 8-0
Singles
1. Dita Hauerlandova (SDSU) def. #18 Olga Boulytcheva (BYU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
2. Lauren Jones (BYU) def. Alesya Vidov (SDSU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Eliska Krausova (SDSU) def. Anastasia Sourkova (BYU) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
4. Milana Yusupov (SDSU) def. Sofia Holden (BYU) 7-5, 7-5
5. Sisse Nielsen (SDSU) def. Dolly Chang (BYU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jennifer Miccoli (BYU) def. Esther Cadua (SDSU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
Order of finish: 6, 5, 2, 4, 3, 1*
* Match securing victory