PROVO, Utah — No. 27 BYU delivered a gritty performance against No. 11 Arizona State but ultimately fell 4–2 on Thursday afternoon at the Outdoor Tennis Courts. The Cougars pushed the nationally ranked Sun Devils in a tightly contested Big 12 showdown, showcasing their depth and resilience.
Arizona State secured the doubles point with victories on courts one and three, though BYU’s pairs battled throughout.
The Cougars responded with determination in singles play. Gracie Levelston put BYU on the board with an impressive ranked win over No. 28 Emilija Tverijonaite, taking a hard-fought first-set tiebreak before her opponent retired. YuYun Chen followed with a composed 7–5, 6–4 victory over Lily Taylor to even the momentum and energize the home crowd.
Bella Lewis delivered one of the most thrilling matches of the day on court six. After claiming the opening set 6–4, she battled through a tightly contested three-set showdown that came down to the wire, exemplifying the Cougars’ fight and competitiveness against a top-15 opponent.
Sage Bergeson also impressed with her resilience on court five. She rallied after dropping the first set and was locked in a decisive third set against Aiya Nupbay when the match went unfinished, underscoring how close BYU was to turning the tide.
Despite the final score, the Cougars demonstrated they can compete with the nation’s elite, pushing Arizona State to the brink in front of their home fans.
With the result, Arizona State improved to 18–4, while BYU moved to 18–6 on the season.
Up Next
BYU closes out its regular-season home slate against Arizona on Saturday at the Outdoor Tennis Courts in Provo. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m. MDT as the Cougars look to bounce back and build momentum heading into the Big 12 Tournament.