USC Women’s Tennis Falls to Washington State 4-3

PULLMAN, Wash. --The No. 16 USC women's tennis team fell to No. 47 Washington State 4-3 today (Mar. 7) in Pullman, Wash. The Women of Troy now hold a 7-4 overall record and a 1-1 Pac-12 Conference record for the 2021 season. 
 
The Cougars made the first move in doubles as Bayerlova/Sato defeated USC's Cayetano/Cheong 6-4 on court one. Trojans Ewing/McKee responded with a 6-4 victory on court two over Washington State's Ates/Lee. The doubles point rested on the result of court three. USC's Dvorak/Willson fell to Courgars Jittakoat/Kumhm 7-5 and Washington State claimed the doubles point. This was Dvorak/Willson's first loss as a pair on the season. 
 
The Women of Troy entered singles down 0-1. Trojan sophomore No. 48 Eryn Cayetano took the opportunity to even out the score. She defeated Cougar Hikaru Sato 6-0, 6-2 on court two to tie up the match at 1-1. 
 
The Cougars forged ahead in the match.  On court six, Melisa Ates defeated USC redshirt senior Clare McKee 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, and Cougar No. 55 Michaela Bayerlova beat USC freshman No. 103 Naomi Cheong 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 on court one. Washington State held a 3-1 lead. 
 
The tides began to change as Trojan junior Salma Ewing beat Cougar Fifa Kumhom 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 on court three. 
 
USC continued to hold the momentum as junior Danielle Willson defeated Washington State's Pang Jittakoat 6-4, 6-3 on court four to tie up the match score at 3-3. 
 
The match result came down to the decision on court five. After splitting the first two sets, Washington State's Savanna Ly-Nguyen took the third set over redshirt senior Summer Dvorak to win 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 to clinch the match for the Cougars. 
 
USC returns to California to travel up the 101 to face UC Santa Barbara on Friday (Mar.12) and then back to Marks Stadium to challenge Pepperdine on Sunday (Mar. 14) for the third time this season.  

Washington State 4, USC 3
March 7, 2021 –  Pullman, Wash.

Doubles 

1. Bayerlova/Sato (WSU) def. Cayetano/Cheong (USC) - 6-4
2. Ewing/McKee (USC) def. Ates/Lee (WSU) - 6-4
3. Jittakoat/Kumhom (WSU) def. Dvorak/Willson (USC) - 7-5*

Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*
Washington State wins the doubles point

Singles 

1. #55 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. #103 Naomi Cheong (USC) - 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
2. #48 Eryn Cayetano (USC) def. Hikaru Sato (WSU) - 6-0, 6-2
3. Salma Ewing (USC) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) - 3-6, 6-1, 6-2
4. Danielle Willson (USC) def. Pang Jittakoat (WSU) - 6-4, 6-3
5. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Summer Dvorak (USC) - 2-6, 6-0, 6-4*
6. Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Clare Mckee (USC) - 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

Order of Finish: 2, 6, 1, 3, 4, 5*