PROVO, Utah – In a stellar performance, the BYU women's tennis team opened the 2017 season with a 7-0 home victory over Weber State on Saturday at the indoor tennis courts.
"Today we really played a great match," BYU head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. "The girls worked through the first match jitters really, well and we were able to incorporate what we've been doing in practice into our matches. That's a really good sign for us."
The Cougars came out fast winning two doubles matches to take an early 1-0 lead. At third doubles, senior Natella Nabieva and freshman Polina Malykh finished first after a 6-2 win over Weber State's Emily Tanner and Devi Hasan. At second doubles, senior Mayci Jones and freshman Kate Cusick clinched for the Cougars with a 6-2 finish over the Wildcat's Morgan Dickason and Dominique Beauvais. On court one, senior Savannah Ware-Avina and freshman Samantha Smith fell to Weber State's Tereza Pilzova and Caitlin Herb 6-5 (7-4).
Holding the advantage, BYU continued the momentum into singles play with wins on every court. BYU jumped out to a 3-0 advantage after Malykh defeated Beauvais 6-1, 6-2 at fourth singles, and Ware-Avina recorded an equally dominant performance with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Dickason at third singles. Jones, playing at first singles, finished off the Wildcats with a 6-0, 6-1 win against Pilzova to clinch the match for BYU.
On court two, Nabieva fell behind 5-0 in the first set but battled back to beat Herb 7-5, 6-2. The Cougars finished out thet match with wins at the No. 5 and No. 6 slots with Smith winning 6-0, 6-3 over Hasan and Cusick beating Tanner 6-2, 6-2.
BYU will host Missouri on Friday, Feb. 3, at 11 a.m. MST at the BYU indoor tennis courts. Admission is free to the public and free pizza will be provided.
BYU 7, Weber State 0
Singles Results
1. Mayci Jones (BYU) def. PILZOVA, Tereza (WSU) 6-0, 6-1
2. Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. HERB, Caitlin (WSU) 7-5, 6-2
3. Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) def. DICKASON, Morgan (WSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Polina Malykh (BYU) def. BEAUVAIS, Dominique (WSU) 6-1, 6-2
5. Samantha Smith (BYU) def. HASAN, Devi (WSU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Kate Cusick (BYU) def. TANNER, Emily (WSU) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles Results
1. PILZOVA, Tereza/HERB, Caitlin (WSU) def. Samantha Smith/Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) 6-5 (7-4)
2. Mayci Jones/Kate Cusick (BYU) def. BEAUVAIS, Dominique/DICKASON, Morgan (WSU) 6-2
3. Polina Malykh/Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. HASAN, Devi/TANNER, Emily (WSU) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (4,3,1,2,5,6)