Cougars fall 1-4 to Saint Mary’s in final WCC match

MORAGA, Calif. – Despite winning the doubles point, the BYU women’s tennis team suffered a 1-4 loss to Saint Mary’s in its last West Coast Conference match of the regular season.

BYU finishes the regular season with an 11-10 record including going 4-5 in conference play, while Saint Mary's finishes at 10-10, 6-3.

Down one match at the beginning of doubles, the Cougars came back to win the next two and clinch the doubles point. After Anastasia Abramyan and Kate Cusick fell 3-6 to No. 27 Hind Abdelouahid and Mariia Kozyreva, BYU’s Taylah Beckman and Samantha Smith won a 6-4 battle in No. 3 doubles over Jordan Harris and Danielle McIntyre. To clinch the point, the Cougars’ Madeline Almeida and Polina Malykh downed Clementine Clement and Liesl Pieters, 7-5, at the No. 2 position.

However, the Gaels came back in singles to win the next four matches and claim the victory. Abramyan fell to Saint Mary’s No. 102 Kozyreva 1-6, 0-6 at No. 1. BYU’s Cusick lost to Clement in straight sets at No. 2 singles, 3-6, 2-6. At the No. 3 position, BYU’s Malykh snapped her winning streak as she lost 1-6, 4-6 to Abdelouahid and Beckman fell 6-7, 2-6 to Pieters.

The Cougars’ Almeida and Smith left matches unfinished in the No. 3 and No. 6 positions.

BYU will make its final court appearance of the season at the West Coast Conference Championships from April 25-27. The tournament will take place at the Biszantz Tennis Center in Claremont, California, and matches will begin at 10 a.m. PDT on Thursday. 

Doubles

1. #27 Hind Abdelouahid/Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. Anastasia Abramyan/Kate Cusick (BYU) 6-3
2. Madeline Almeida/Polina Malykh (BYU) def. Clementine Clement/Liesl Pieters (SMC) 7-5
3. Taylah Beckman/Samantha Smith (BYU) def. Jordan Harris/Danielle McIntyre (SMC) 6-4

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles

1. #102 Mariia Kozyreva (SMC) def. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU) 6-1, 6-0
2. Clementine Clement (SMC) def. Kate Cusick (BYU) 6-3, 6-2
3. Hind Abdelouahid (SMC) def. Polina Malykh (BYU) 6-1, 6-4
4. Jordan Harris (SMC) vs. Madeline Almeida (BYU) 6-2, 5-5, unfinished
5. Liesl Pieters (SMC) def. Taylah Beckman (BYU) 7-6, 6-2
6. Samantha Smith (BYU) vs. Aubane Ville (SMC) 6-4, 6-5, unfinished

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3, 5