Cougars come up short against Santa Clara

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – In the first of two road matches in California this weekend, BYU women’s tennis fell 4-1 to Santa Clara on Friday at the Degheri Tennis Center.

In doubles, SCU (8-11, 3-5 WCC) earned the victory on court No. 1 after Madison Clarke and Danielle Silva defeated BYU seniors Natella Nabieva and Savannah Ware-Avina by the score of 6-4. Freshman Kate Cusick and sophomore Taylah Beckman defeated the Broncos’ Nabila Farah and Caitlyn Frankel 7-5 on court No. 2 but SCU took the third doubles matchup after Zeina El Tawil and Giannina Ong defeated BYU’s Demi Perkinson and Samantha Smith 7-6.

In singles, the Broncos extended the lead to 3-0 after Farah defeated Cusick 6-1, 6-2 at third singles and Beckman fell 6-3, 6-4 to SCU’s Frankel. Nabieva scored the Cougars’ first point of the match with a sound 6-4, 6-3 win over Silva at the No. 2 singles slot, but SCU held on to win 4-1 after Clarke bested BYU’s Ware-Avina in three sets with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory.

BYU will face San Francisco tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. PDT at the California Tennis Club in San Francisco in the final match of the 2017 regular season.  

Santa Clara 4, Brigham Young 1

Singles competition

1. Madison Clarke (SCU) def. Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0

2. Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. Daniella Silva (SCU) 6-4, 6-3

3. Nabila Farah (SCU) def. Kate Cusick (BYU) 6-1, 6-2

4. Zeina El Tawil (SCU) vs. Samantha Smith (BYU) 3-6, 6-1, 4-4, unfinished

5. Caitlyn Frankel (SCU) def. Taylah Beckman (BYU) 6-3, 6-4

6. Giannina Ong (SCU) vs. Demi Perkinson (BYU) 6-1, 3-6, 3-4, unfinished

Doubles competition

1. Madison Clarke/Daniella Silva (SCU) def. Natella Nabieva/Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) 6-4

2. Kate Cusick/Taylah Beckman (BYU) def. Nabila Farah/Caitlyn Frankel (SCU) 7-5

3. Zeina El Tawil/Giannina Ong (SCU) def. Demi Perkinson/Samantha Smith (BYU) 7-6

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,5,2,1)