Cougars fall 2-4 to the University of Utah

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – BYU women’s tennis falls 2-4 to in-state rival, the University of Utah on Friday.

“Tonight was definitely a heartbreaker,” said BYU women’s tennis head coach Holly Parkinson Hasler. "It was a matter of points and the match could have gone either way. On the bright side, we are 10 times the team we were just a few matches ago. Now it's back to work to prepare to hit the road next week."

Leah Heimuli and Kate Cusick Truman finished first in No. 1 doubles in a 1-6 game against Utah's No.16th ranked doubles team Whitney Hekking and Madison Tattini. BYU's No. 3 doubles team of Helen Jiao and Emma Jewell fought hard but fell 2-6 to Anya Lamoreaux and Lindsay Hung, securing Utah the doubles point. The Cougars' Polina Malykh and Emilee Astle did not complete their match, ending their No. 2 doubles match 5-4 against Madeline Lamoreaux and Emily Dush.

In singles, Cusick Truman was the first to finish, falling to Tattini 3-6, 1-6 in No. 1 singles. Malykh finished next in No. 2 singles, beating Utah's M. Lamoreaux 6-0, 6-4. Astle was close behind at No. 5 singles where she picked up a 6-1, 6-3 victory against Hung to tie the match at 2-2.

BYU's Anastasia Abramyan fought hard but lost to Dush 1-6, 3-6 in a tough No. 4 singles match, giving Utah a 3-2 advantage. Jiao was next to finish, losing a close 5-7, 5-7 match to A. Lamoreaux at No. 6 singles, clinching the 4-2 win for the Utes. Heimuli did not complete her match against Hekking, finishing it at 6-3, 7-6 (4), 5-1.

The Cougars remain on the road next week, facing the University of Mexico on Thursday, Mar. 5. The team then travels to Texas to take on the University of Houston on Saturday, Mar. 7.

Singles

1. Madison Tattini (UU) def. Kate Cusick Truman (BYU), 6-3, 6-1

2. Polina Malykh (BYU) def. Madeline Lamoreaux (UU), 6-0, 6-4

3. Leah Heimuli (BYU) vs. Whitney Hekking (UU), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 5-1, unf.

4. Emily Dush (UU) def. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU), 6-1, 6-3

5. Emilee Astle (BYU) def. Lindsay Hung (UU), 6-1, 6-3

6. Anya Lamoreaux (UU) def. Helen Jiao (BYU) 7-5, 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 5, 4, 6

Doubles

1. No. 16 Tattini/Hekking (UU) def. Heimuli/Cusick Truman (BYU), 6-1

2. M. Lamoreaux/Dush (UU) vs. Malykh/Astle (BYU), 4-5, unf.

3. A. Lamoreaux/Hung (UU) def. Jiao/Jewell (BYU), 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 3