Ute Women’s Tennis Battles In Singles, Falls Short To #38 Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Utah women's tennis team started out the first of two road matches Thursday afternoon playing against No. 38 Washington State at the Hollingberry Fieldhouse. After losing the doubles point, the Utes battled in singles play to cut the deficit, but the Cougars were able to end the match with a score of 4-1 before the remaining Utes could finish.

After Washington State's No. 2 duo downed Utah's Anastasia Goncharova and Lindsay Hung, 6-1, the Utes looked to teammates on court one to level out the game. However, on court three, Anya Lamoreaux and Madison Tattini fell to their opponents, 6-1, awarding WSU with the doubles point. Madeline Lamoreaux and Emily Dush were leading, 4-3, but the match was unfinished.

Washington State took their second point on court two, where Hikaru Sato downed Hung 6-2, 6-1. The third point came on court one, where WSU's No. 55-ranked Bayerlova took the upper hand against M. Lamoreaux, 6-3, 6-3.

On court six, the Utes claimed their first point after Lamoreaux defeated WSU's Ates. Lamoreaux dropped her first set 2-6, but after battling back, she took the next set 6-4. Lamoreaux jumped out to an early lead and was able to hang on for the 6-4 third-set win to get Utah on the board. The match-clinching point came on court five, where Tattini fell to Ly-Nguyen 6-1, 6-2.

Despite dropping the match, Utah had a high chance of picking up two more wins before the match was called. On court three, Dush was leading her third set 5-4 when the match was clinched, and similarly on court four where Goncharova did not finish her match and had won the first set and was tied in the second.

The Utes will travel to play against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene, Ore., on Sunday, March 14 at the Oregon Tennis Center at 12 p.m. MT.

WSU 4, UTAH 1
Singles (2,1,6,5)
1. #55 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. Madeline Lamoreaux (UTAH), 6-3, 6-3
2. Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Lindsay Hung (UTAH), 6-2, 6-1
3. Emily Dush (UTAH) vs. Fifa Kumhom (WSU), 5-7, 6-3, 5-4, unf.
4. Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) vs Pang Jittakoat (WSU), 6-3, 3-3, unf.
5. Savanna Ly-Ngyuen (WSU) def. Madison Tattini (UTAH), 6-1, 6-2
6. Anya Lamoreaux (UTAH) def. Melisa Ates (WSU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
 
Doubles (2,3)
1. Madeline Lamoreaux/Emily Dush (UTAH) vs. Michaela Bayerlova/Hikaru Sato (WSU), 4-3, unf.
2. Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Anastasia Goncharova/Lindsay Hung (UTAH), 6-1
3. Pang Jittakoat/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Anya Lamoreaux/Madison Tattini (UTAH), 6-1