PROVO -- The BYU Invitational is in full swing with BYU veterans and newcomers putting on a strong show for the Cougar fans.
BYU senior and No. 3 seed Lauren Jones made it to the quarterfinal match of flight 1 to be played Friday by rolling over Utah State's Courtney Anderson in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2. Her teammate, junior Anastasia Sourkova, is also in the quarters after beating Utah State's Erin Monson 6-1, 6-2 and Utah's Leigh Walsh 6-1, 7-6.
Other great Cougar feats came from the two freshmen on the team, Jocelyn Jensen and Chie Hayasaka, who both won their first intercollegiate matches ever Thursday.
"We saw a lot of good performances today," said BYU head coach Craig Manning. "Lauren and Anastasia played well. Dolly Chang played exceptionally good tennis today against Boise State's No. 1 and took her to three sets. It was also great to see the newcomers win their first intercollegiate matches they've played in."
Jensen, who beat Utah's Jessica Carter in three sets this afternoon, said she was nervous going into her first match.
"Not only was it my first intercollegiate match, but I'd played against Jessica four times before in juniors and never even taken a set on her," Jensen said. "Coach Manning's philosophy is the main reason I was able to beat her today. It's great to be able to talk to your coach during the match."
Friday's action will begin at 9 a.m. at the outdoor tennis facility with the quarterfinals of flight 2, featuring Hayasaka versus Colorado State's Kirsten Stople and BYU's Rana El Dewry showcased against Boise State's Stacey Housley.
All matches are open to the public and admission to the tournament is free. The BYU outdoor tennis courts are located just south of the Smith Fieldhouse and the entrance is on the east side. In the case of inclement weather, play will resume at the indoor tennis facility adjacent to the outdoor courts. Public parking is not available on Friday in the BYU Y parking lots until 4 p.m., but all BYU lots are open to the public all day Saturday.