LUBBOCK, Texas — The No. 53 BYU women’s tennis team delivered one of its most impressive wins of the season on Saturday, defeating No. 29 Texas Tech, 4-3, at the McLeod Tennis Center.
“This was a gritty weekend for us,” head coach Holly Hasler said. “Winning two 4-3 matches on the road shows the toughness of this team. Every player stepped up in different moments and never backed down. We battled the heat, stayed united and competed with heart. Our focus was playing with assertive confidence, and the team delivered that from start to finish.”
After dropping the doubles point, the Cougars leaned on their depth and composure in singles, winning four courts and closing out the match in timely fashion behind YuYun Chen.
The Red Raiders struck first, securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. BYU’s Bella Lewis and Sue Yan Tan provided a bright spot with a 6-2 win on court three, but the Cougars entered singles trailing 1-0.
BYU wasted no time responding.
Sue Yan Tan evened the match with a strong 6-2, 6-3 win on court three, controlling points from the baseline and setting the tone for the Cougars. Sage Bergeson followed with another composed performance on court five, winning 6-2, 6-3 to give BYU its first lead at 2-1.
Texas Tech answered with wins on courts two and then one, regaining a 3-2 advantage and shifting the pressure back to BYU’s remaining courts.
That is when the Cougars delivered.
Karina Mohamed stepped up on court six with a gritty performance, battling through a tight first-set tiebreak before closing the match 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to knot the score at 3-3 and set the stage for a final decision on court four.
All eyes turned to Chen.
After dropping the first set 3-6, Chen reset and completely flipped the momentum. She elevated her level in the second set, dictating play and limiting errors to take it 6-3. With the match down the line, Chen took full control in the third, jumping ahead early and never letting up in a dominant 6-1 finish.
Point by point, Chen showed poise, extending rallies, forcing mistakes and rising in the biggest moment of the match to secure the clinch for BYU.
Up next
BYU returns home to host Kansas State on Thursday, March 26 at 12:00 PM MDT at the Outdoor Tennis Courts in Provo, Utah.