Ezhova Wins Match for Cougars in Tiebreaker

DENVER -- Elizaveta Ezhova seized a victory for the BYU women’s tennis team Saturday, downing her Tulane opponent in the tiebreaking match for a 4-3 win.

Ezhova, in her final season with the Cougars (4-3), took the first set of her singles match against Hila Elster 6-3, but dropped the second set 1-6. Despite falling behind 1-3 in the final set, Ezhova charged forward for the win, taking the last set 6-4.

Sophomore Aubrey Paul, native of Sandy, Utah, tied the score at three matches apiece with her straight-sets win against Tulane's Emma Helistn 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. Megan Price and freshman Callie Craig of Orem, Utah, gave the Cougars their first points of the match with a 6-3, 7-5 win against Mariam Kurdadze and a 6-4, 6-1 win against Elizabeth Hamlin, respectively.

BYU took the match without the doubles point. While Price and Craig easily took their doubles match on Court 1 against Kurdadze and Emma Levy 8-2, but Elle Carney and Ezhova fell 8-3 against Lindsay Dvorak and Helistn on Court 2. Freshmen Desiree Tran and Kelsie Craig of Orem ,Utah, fell in a tiebreaker 9-8 (12-10) to Elster and Hamlin.

Friday the Cougars are on the road once more to play Minnesota at 6 p.m. They will also play North Carolina State at 1 p.m. Saturday. Both matches will be held at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

BYU vs. Tulane
BYU-4    Tulane-3
Doubles
1. Price/Craig (BYU) def. Kurdadze/Levy (Tulane) 8-2
2. Dvorak/Helistn (Tulane) def. Carney/Ezhova (BYU) 8-3
3. Elster/Hamlin (Tulane) def. Tran/Craig (BYU) 9-8 (12-10)
Singles
1. Megan Price (BYU) def. Mariam Kurdadze (Tulane) 6-3, 7-5
2. Emma Levy (Tulane) def. Elle Carney (BYU) 6-4, 6-0
3. Callie Craig (BYU) def. Elizabeth Hamlin (Tulane) 6-4, 6-1
4. Lindsay Dvorak (Tulane) def. Desiree Tran (BYU) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6)
5. Elizaveta Ezhova (BYU) def. Hila Elster (Tulane) 6-3, 1-6, 6-4
6. Aubrey Paul (BYU) def. Emma Helistn (Tulane) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2