BYU spilts WCC road matchups with Gonzaga and Portland

PORTLAND, Oregon – BYU women’s tennis split two WCC matches this weekend, defeating Gonzaga 4-0 Friday before falling to Portland 4-3 on Saturday. The Cougars move to 7-11 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.

BYU broke its three-match losing streak by sweeping conference opponent Gonzaga 4-0 on Friday afternoon for the Cougars' first conference win of the season. 

The Cougars started their route of the Zags by winning the doubles point. Senior Anastasia Abramyan and freshman Bobo Huang tallied the first win, defeating Jenna Sloan and Frederikke Svarre 6-1. Junior Emilee Astle and sophomore Kara Lin secured BYU’s first point by beating Adrianna Sosnowska and Tiegan Aitken 6-3. 

BYU finished up the sweep taking the first three singles matches. Lin defeated Caroline Wernli with ease, taking the match 6-0, 6-3. Freshman Madison Smith won the Cougars' third point as she took down Tiegan 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Abramyan followed suit, securing BYU’s fourth and final point for the win, defeating Cate Broerman 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

The Cougars moved on to Portland, falling in a close match 4-3. BYU started off with the doubles point once again. Heimuli and Jiao beat Sally Pethybridge and Rimona Rouf 6-4, followed by Abramyan and Huang defeating Iva Zelic and Angela Schuster 7-5. Astle and Lin fell 6-4 in their match against Aleksandra Dimitrijevic and Neli Sunjic. 

BYU fought hard in its singles matches against Portland. The Cougars dropped their first two matches. Abramyan retired from her match against Zelic in the second set after being down 6-2, 1-0. Heimuli was then defeated 6-4, 6-2 in her match against Pethybridge. Huang tied the score back up as she took down Sunjic 6-2, 7-6(5). The Pilots rallied back as Dimitrijevic defeated Lin 6-4, 6-3. Portland sealed its win with Astle falling 7-6(8), 7-6(4) to Rouf. Sophomore Xenia de Luna followed shortly thereafter with the final BYU win, beating Schuster 6-1, 6-3.

The Cougars come back home for the first time in over a month to take on Oregon Thursday, March 31 at 12 p.m. MDT.

BYU VS GONZAGA

Doubles:

1. Heimuli/Jiao vs Broerman/Oda: 2-5 (DNF)
2. Abramyan/Huang def. Sloan/Svarre: 6-1
3. Astle/Lin def. Aitken/Sosnowska: 6-3

Singles:

1. Abramyan def. Broerman: 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
2. Heimuli vs Sloan: 4-6, 7-5 (DNF)
3. Huang vs Sosnowska: 7-5, 6-7 (DNF)
4. Astle vs Oda: 6-4, 1-6 (DNF)
5. Smith def. Aitken: 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
6. Lin def. Wernli: 6-0, 6-3

BYU VS PORTLAND

Doubles:

1. Heimuli/Jiao def. Pethybridge/Rouf: 6-4
2. Abramyan/Huang def. Zelic/Schuster: 7-5
3. Dimitrijevic/Sunjic def. Astle/Lin: 6-4

Singles:

1. Zelic def. Abramyan: 6-2, 1-0 (Abramyan ret.)
2. Pethybridge def. Heimuli: 6-4, 6-2
3. Huang def. Sunjic: 6-2, 7-6(5) 
4. Rouf def. Astle: 7-6(8), 7-6(4)
5. Dimitrijevic def. Lin: 6-4, 6-3
6. De Luna def. Schuster: 6-1, 6-3