PULLMAN, Wash. – The BYU women’s tennis team suffered a 5-1 loss against Washington State at the Hollingbery Fieldhouse on Friday.

"Today was a tough one," Head Coach Holly Parkinson Hasler said. "Washington State is a strong team with a lot of depth. We are learning that confidence and belief goes a long way. The girls are anxious to face Seattle tomorrow and improve and build on what they learned from today."

Junior Polina Malykh, competing in No. 3 singles, took the only match victory of the day for BYU to improve to 3-2 in regular season singles.

WSU swept the doubles point in No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. BYU’s Kate Cusick and Anastasia Abramyan fell first, 6-2, in their match against Tiffany Mylonas and Hikaru Sato. Despite their hard-fought battle in No. 3 doubles, duo Samantha Smith and Taylah Beckman also suffered a loss to WSU’s Michaela Bayerlova and Aneta Misovska, 7-5. In No. 2 doubles, BYU’s Malykh and Madeline Almeida left an unfinished match at 6-6 with Washington’s Yang Lee and Melisa Ates.

To start off the singles matches, WSU took the first two wins. BYU’s Cusick was defeated by WSU’s No. 35 Bayerlova 6-1, 6-1 in No. 1 singles. Following, in No. 2 singles, BYU’s Abramyan was bested by WSU’s Sato 6-2, 6-1.

However, in No. 3 singles, Malykh battled for a victory in a three-set match against WSU’s Mylonas to win 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-2). Her match was followed by three tough BYU Cougar losses; In No. 4 singles, Almeida fell to WSU’s Savanna Ly-Nguyen 6-4, 6-2. In No. 5 singles, Samantha Smith suffered a 6-3, 6-1 loss to WSU’s Ates, and in No. 6 singles, Taylah Beckman was defeated by WSU’s Miksovska 6-1, 6-2.

The BYU Cougars will return to play at Hollingbery Fieldhouse on Saturday, Feb. 23 to battle against the Seattle University Redhawks. Matches will begin at 9 a.m. PST; live video feed will be available here.

Doubles

1. Tiffany Mylonas/Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Kate Cusick/Anastasia Abramyan (BYU) 6-2
2. Yang Lee/Melisa Ates (WSU) vs. Polina Malykh/Madeline Almeida (BYU) 6-6 DNF
3. Michaela Bayerlova/Aneta Miksovska (WSU) def. Samantha Smith./Taylah Beckman (BYU) 7-5

Singles

1. Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. Kate Cusick (BYU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Mikaru Sato (WSU) def. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Polina Malykh (BYU) def. Tiffany Mylonas (WSU) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-2)
4. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Madelina Almeida (BYU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Samanthan Smith (BYU) 6-3, 6-1
6. Aneta Miksovska (WSU) def. Taylah Beckman (BYU) 6-1, 6-2

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s tennis hits the road again to play matches against Washington State and Seattle University this weekend.

BYU is 3-1 on the season after taking its first sweep against New Mexico and a 4-2 win against Boise State. Duos Madeline Almeida and Polina Malykh and Samantha Smith and Taylah Beckman remain undefeated in No. 2 and No. 3 doubles with 3-0 and 4-0 records, respectively.

Washington State maintains an 8-1 record for the season after a sweep against Purdue University; the BYU Cougars have a 5-9 all-time record against the Washington State Cougars.

Seattle University holds a 4-4 season record after falling to Montana State. This match will be the first time that BYU has battled the Seattle Pilots in women’s tennis history.

The Cougars will first face off against Washington State on Friday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. PST. BYU will return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 9 a.m. PST to take on Seattle University. Both matches will take place at Washington State’s Hollingberry Fieldhouse.

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