PROVO, Utah — The BYU women's tennis team kicked off their 2025 season with two victories against Weber State and Utah Tech.
"We were excited to knock the rust off today and be back on the court after a long break from team matches," said head coach Holly Hasler." I saw a lot of good things and areas we can improve. Competing is the best way to see exactly what we need to work on, and after today, we are ready to get back to work."
The Cougars first traveled to Ogden, Utah and faced the Wildcats. After sweeping the match 7-0, they returned to Provo and defeated the Bison 6-1.
Today's matches marked the first collegiate matches for freshmen Hiba Heni and Sue Yan Tan, and the first matches as Cougars for transfers Chelsea Bluestein and Grace Levelston.
"The home court atmosphere and energy was electric tonight!" said assistant coach Anastasia Hayden. "It was great to get a win, but even better to see our women connecting as a team. At the start of the season, the learning mindset is crucial. What a privilege to learn and grow together as a coaching staff and team."
Weber State
Doubles Results
- Grace Levelston / Hiba Heni (BYU) uf. Jessica Hill / Aleks Bozinovska (WSU), 5-2
- Chelsea Bluestein / Madison Smith (BYU) def. Sydney Schnell / Alicia Morales (WSU), 6-0
- Elizabeth Tullis / Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Cindy Ping An / Savannah Johnson (WSU), 6-3
Order of finish: 2,3
Bluestein and Maddy Smith secured an early 6-0 victory in doubles, with Bitsy Tullis and Tan finishing close behind. Their two victories clinched the doubles point for BYU, and Levelston and Heni left the court with their 5-2 match unfinished.
Singles Results
- Grace Levelston (BYU) def. Sydney Schnell (WSU), 6-1, 6-3
- Chelsea Bluestein (BYU) def. Cindy Ping An (WSU), 7-5, 6-3
- Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Alicia Morales (WSU), 6-2, 7-6(4)
- Madison Smith (BYU) def. Jessica Hill (WSU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Savannah Johnson (WSU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
- Hiba Heni (BYU) def. Aleks Bozinovska (WSU), 6-2, 6-3
Order of finish: 6,1,2,3,5,4
All six Cougars scored their first singles victories of the season. Heni and Levelston came first, followed by Bluestein.
Tan took the fourth singles point, winning a second-set tiebreak 7-4. Tullis and Smith each lost one of their first two sets but nailed down a victory with a third-set win.
Utah Tech
Doubles Results
- Grace Levelston / Chelsea Bluestein (BYU) def. Mariana Zurita / Maya Inouye (UT), 6-4
- Sue Yan Tan / Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Ana Sampere / Olivia Bustos (UT), 7-6(3)
Order of finish: 1,2
BYU's third doubles team had to forfeit before the match, but the Cougars secured the doubles point after a solid victory from Levelston and Bluestein and a comeback win from Tan and Tullis.
Singles Results
- Grace Levelston (BYU) def. Mariana Zurita (UT), 6-1, 6-0
- Chelsea Bluestein (BYU) def. Ana Sampere (UT) 6-2, 6-7(2), 1-0 (10-6)
- Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Nutsa Tsintsadze (UT), 6-3, 6-0
- Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Maya Inouye (UT), 6-3, 6-4
- Hiba Heni (BYU) def. Olivia Bustos (UT), 7-5, 6-1
Order of finish: 1,3,4,2,5
Smith forfeited her singles match, giving the Bison a 1-0 lead going into the round of singles play.
Levelston took an early lead in her first set, going on to secure the team's first singles victory. Tan came back from a 2-0 first-set deficit and won the set 6-3, eventually winning the second singles point for the Cougars.
Tullis won her first set 6-3, then played a close second set with multiple deuce points, winning 6-4 to take the third singles victory.
Bluestein took a 4-1 lead in the first set, winning it 6-2. After a neck-and-neck second set that included a tiebreaker, she lost 6-7(2). Bluestein rallied and came back with a 10-6 win in the third-set tiebreaker, giving BYU a 4-1 singles lead.
Heni fought against her opponent in a close first set and took it 7-5. She picked up steam in the second set, ending the match 6-1 and sealing a 6-1 victory for the Cougars.
Up Next
BYU will return to action on Friday, Jan. 24 in Austin, Texas, for the ITA Kick-off Weekend. The team will play Texas, Baylor and Maryland.