Cougars Sack USF in First Season Victory

HONOLULU -- Starting competition in Hawai’i with its first season win, the No. 73 BYU women’s tennis team took down the University of San Francisco 7-0 Friday.

The day started with a strong round of doubles for the Cougars (1-1), with No. 53 Callie Craig and Megan Price sweeping their match against USF’s Melinda Akerbraut and Julia Wartenburger 8-0 on court No. 1 and senior duo Elle Carney and Elizaveta Ezhova defeating Cecilia Gratian and Blair Reed 8-0. The win was Carney and Ezhova’s second-straight doubles win.

Sophomores Aubrey Paul and Andie Young dropped a hard-fought match to Cecile Duriez and Yurie Hashiguchi 8-5.

The Cougars didn’t let up in singles play. Five of the six singles matches were won in straight sets. Price led on court No. 1, with a victory over Wartenburg 6-2, 6-3. On court No. 2, Carney had a tough run with Duriez, but pulled away in the tiebreaker for a 2-6, 6-2, 11-9 win.

Freshman Craig only allowed her opponent one game, taking the match 6-1, 6-0 and fellow freshman Desiree Tran won 6-2, 6-4.

After coming off wins against No. 23 Washington, Ezhova and Paul kept their success rolling, each recording their second singles victory of the season. Ezhova won her match 6-2, 6-2 and Aubrey won 6-4, 6-1.

The Cougars have one day to practice and relax in the 80-degree Honolulu weather before taking on Hawai’i Saturday at 5 MT.

No. 73 BYU vs. USF
BYU-7     USF-0
Doubles
1. No. 53 Price/Craig (BYU) def. Akerbraut/Wartenburger (USF) 8-0
2. Carney/Ezhova (BYU) def. Gratian/Reed (USF) 8-0
3. Duriez/Hashiguchi (USF) def. Paul/Young (BYU) 8-5
Singles
1. M. Price (BYU) def. J. Wartenburger (USF) 6-2, 6-3
2. E. Carney (BYU) def. C. Duriez (USF) 2-6, 6-2 (11-9)
3. C. Craig (BYU) def. Y. Hashiguchi (USF) 6-1, 6-0
4. D. Tran (BYU) def. C. Gratian (USF) 6-2, 6-4
5. E. Ezhova (BYU) def. A. McMahon (USF) 6-2, 6-2
6. A. Paul (BYU) def. J. Mekpoh (USF) 6-4, 6-1