Box Score PULLMAN, Wash. – It was an intense day on the court for the Gaels as the SMC Women's Tennis team faced off against Washington State Saturday afternoon.
Despite claiming the doubles point, the Gaels were unable to hold the home team at bay in singles, as the Cougars went on to beat Saint Mary's 5-2.
STRONG START
SMC got off to a strong start on the double's courts, with two of the three matches going in favor of the Gaels.
Jordan Harris and
Lene Mari Hovda played as strong as ever, beating Maxine Murphy/Yura Nakagawa by a score of 6-2.
Stefanie Silva and
Tian Yu Dong fought to stay in their match against Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse, but the comeback came up short as the Gaels lost the match 6-3.
The doubles point hinged on the match between SMC's
Olivia Rook and
Madison Weekley and Washington State's Hania Abouelsaad and Tiffany Phout.
The Saint Mary's duo took control from the first serve, establishing a strong 5-1 lead. But the Cougars refused back down, as they won the following two games to make it 5-3. The young SMC pairing held tough, clinching the match 6-4, and the earning the crucial doubles point along with it.
TENSE SINGLES
Despite the Gaels coming off doubles with the momentum, it was the Cougars that were able to win matches on the single's courts.
Jordan Harris won her match early in the first set after her opponent Maxine Murphy was forced to retire due to injury.
Olivia Rook faced a in tough opponent Yura Nakagawa in the No. 3 match and was unable to steal a set away from the WSU player. Nakagawa went on the win the match 6-3, 6-4.
Stafanie Silva took on the Cougars Elyse Tse on the in the No. 3 match. Silva played quality tennis against Tse, but the WSU player was able to keep her at bay in both sets, winning the match 6-4, 6-4.
In the No. 6 matchup between SMC's
Madison Weekley and WSU's Stefaniia Mikhailova, the Cougars player started strong, winning the first set 6-2.
Madison Weekley jumped out to a quick lead in the second, but the WSU player was able to battle back, winning the set 7-5 and clinching the match victory as well.
The match on the No. 2 court proved to be one of the closest battles of the day, as
Lene Mari Hovda and Eva Alvarez Sande went toe-to-toe. The WSU player snatched the first set 6-4, but the second set proved to be much tighter.
Hovda battled the entire set, as both players continued to hold serve. All square at 6-6 in the second set, it was the Cougar that bested the Gael in the end. Alvarez Sanda won the tiebreak 7-3, clinching the match 7-6 in the second set.
The No. 5 match proved be the decider, as SMC's
Tian Yu Dong faced off against WSU's Hania Abouelsaad. Dong came out swinging to win the first set 6-3 in confident fashion. Aboulsaad responded, coming back with a vengeance to win the second set 6-0, leaving the third and final set up for grabs.
Both players deserved to win, as they each produced brilliant shots the entire match. In the end Aboulsaad came out victorious, winning the set 6-4. The win clinched the overall victory for the home team, as the Cougars claim the 5-2 victory.
Washington State (7-4) defeats Saint Mary's (2-4)
Feb. 25, 2023 in Pullman, Wash.
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Doubles
- Jordan Harris/Lene Mari Hovda (SMC), def. Maxine Murphy/Yura Nakagawa (WSU), 6-2
- Eva Alvarez Sande/Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Stefanie Silva/Tian Yu Dong (SMC), 6-3
- Olivia Rook/Madison Weekley (SMC), def. Hania Abouelsaad/Tiffany Phout (WSU) , 6-4 *
Order of Finish – 1, 2, 3*
Singles
- Jordan Harris (SMC) def. Maxine Murphy (WSU), 2-3, ret.
- Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Lene Mari Hovda (SMC), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
- Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Olivia Rook (SMC), 6-3, 6-4
- Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Stefanie Silva (SMC), 6-4, 6-4
- Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) def. TianYu Dong (SMC), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 ^
- Stefaniia Mikhailova (WSU) def. Madison Weekley (SMC), 6-2, 7-5
Order of Finish – 1, 3, 4, 2, 5 ^, 6
^ Clinched overall win
NEXT UP
The Gaels are back in action on Sunday as they face off against the Eastern Washington Eagles at 11 AM.
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