Atawo Picks Up First Head Coaching Win in 6-1 Victory over BYU

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State Women's Tennis team opened its 2022 dual-match season in convincing fashion, defeating BYU 6-1 Friday at the Simmelink Tennis Courts, giving first-year head coach Raquel Atawo her first Cougar victory in her dual-match debut.
 
The day began with doubles and WSU's (1-0) No. 3 pair Savanna Ly-Nguyen and Elyse Tse rode a break of serve to a 6-4 victory over BYU's (1-2) Anastasia Abramyan and Yujia Huang, giving WSU the early advantage. Following close behind, WSU's No.1 duo of Michaela Bayerlova and Maxine Murphy brought home a 6-4 victory against Anastasia Abramyan and Yujia Huang, clinching the opening doubles point. On Court 2, Yang Lee and Fifa Kumhom finished out the sweep with a 7-5 win over Leah Heimuli and Jacque Dunyon, giving WSU a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.
 
In singles, Bayerlova wasted no time in doubling the WSU lead as on her seventh match point, completed a 6-1, 6-3 win over Dunyon at No. 1. Ly-Nguyen, at No. 2, started slow but never looked back as after falling behind 3-0 to Heimuli, reeled off nine-straight games to take control of the match. She closed out her day with a 6-3, 7-5 win, putting WSU one win away from the team victory.
 
At No. 3, Murphy, the freshman making her dual-match debut, needed three sets en route to a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over Abramyan, clinching the team win for WSU. Tse, another freshman playing at home for the first time, completed a 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) win at No. 4 to push WSU's lead to 5-0.
 
Kumhom had no trouble rolling to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Madison Smith at No. 5 while Lin accounted for BYU's lone win, needing three sets to defeat Stefaniia Mikhailova, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7) at No. 6.
 
WSU's impressive 6-1 win over BYU avenges a 4-3 loss in Provo last year, which snapped WSU's six-match winning streak in the series.
 
WSU is next in action Jan. 29 when it hosts Eastern Washington and Idaho in a pair of matches at the Simmelink Tennis Courts. The EWU match begins at 11 a.m. followed by Idaho at 4 p.m.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 6 def. BYU 1
January 21, 2021
Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse
Pullman, Wash.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova/Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Anastasia Abramyan/Yujia Huang (BYU) 6-4
No. 2 Yang Lee/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Leah Heimuli/Jacque Dunyon (BYU) 7-5
No. 3 Savanna Ly-Nguyen/Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Emilee Astle/Kara Lin (BYU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 3,1,2
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. Jacque Dunyon (BYU) 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Leah Heimuli (BYU) 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
No. 4 Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Yujia Huang (BYU) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
No. 5 Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Madison Smith (BYU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 6 Kara Lin (BYU) def. Stefaniia Mikhailova (WSU 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Order of Finish: 1,2,3,4,5,6