BOISE, Idaho--Freshmen Toby Miclat and Savannah Ware both clinched in tiebreakers, as BYU women's tennis orchestrated a come-from-behind win over Boise State, 4-3, the first of the season Saturday.
"It was important for us to bounce back and start strong in doubles today," BYU head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. "We played well in doubles which helped carry us in singles. The girls fought hard today, and we were able to come out on top of those 10-point tiebreakers."
Five of the six singles matches came down to tiebreakers as the Cougars (1-3) escaped with the road win over the Broncos (4-1).
The total match score was 2-3 in favor of Boise State, before BYU rallied. Miclat knotted the score with her win over Morgan Basil. The freshman fell in the first set, 6-7 (3-7), before turning the table and taking the final two sets, 6-2, 10-7.
With the match tied at 3-3, the result depended on Ware against Megan LaLone. After dominating her opponent in the first set, 6-0, she dropped the second 2-6. With the match and first win of the season on the line, the Southern California product beat her opponent in tiebreakers, 10-7, clinching the win for the Cougars.
BYU started off the match right by taking two out of three doubles matches, carrying momentum into singles. Freshman Mayci Jones teamed with sophomore Nicolette Tran to defeat Milena Toseva and Anissa Bryant-Swift, 6-3. Morgan Anderson-Littlewood and Mackenna Maddox also came through, beating LaLone and Teal Vosburgh by the same score.
Nicolette Tran put BYU on the board again with her convincing victory over Toseva, 6-1, 6-0.
The Cougars then fell in the next three singles matches. Junior Meghan Sheehan-Dizon took the first set against her opponent, 3-6, but fell in the next two, losing the third in tiebreakers, 6-2, 10-7. Senior Desiree Tran's comeback bid fell short against Bryant-Swift, 6-3, 4-6, 10-8. Jones fell in the third set tiebreakers to Sandy Vo, 5-7, 6-4, 10-6.
BYU returns to Provo for the 2014 home opener against No. 54 Denver next Saturday at 10 a.m. MST.
Tennis Match Results
Brigham Young vs Boise State
(Boas Indoor Tennis Center)
Brigham Young 4, Boise State 3
Singles competition
1. Sandy Vo (BSU) def. JONES, Mayci (BYU) 5-7, 6-4, 10-6
2. Teal Vosburgh (BSU) def. SHEEHAN-DIZON, Meg. (BYU) 3-6, 6-2, 10-7
3. TRAN, Nicolette (BYU) def. Milena Toseva (BSU) 6-1, 6-0
4. Anissa Bryant-Swift (BSU) def. TRAN, Desiree (BYU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
5. MICLAT, Toby (BYU) def. Morgan Basil (BSU) 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 10-7
6. WARE, Savannah (BYU) def. Megan LaLone (BSU) 6-0, 2-6, 10-4
Doubles competition
1. Sandy Vo/Morgan Basil (BSU) def. SHEEHAN-DIZON, Meg./MICLAT, Toby (BYU) 6-3
2. JONES, Mayci/TRAN, Nicolette (BYU) def. Milena Toseva/Anissa Bryant-Swift (BSU) 6-3
3. ANDERSON-LITTLEWOOD, Morgan/MADDOX, Mackenna (BYU) def. Megan LaLone/Teal Vosburgh (BSU) 6-3
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,2,4,1,5,6)