MORAGA, Calif. – After going 1-1 over the weekend against Portland and Gonzaga, SMC Women's Tennis are back on home court for two big conference matchups against San Diego and BYU.
 
The Gaels will give it one last shot to try and force their way in the conference championship discussion, as both the Toreros and the Cougars are above the Gaels in the standings. 
 
THE DETAILS
San Diego Toreros (10-8) at Saint Mary's Gaels (7-10) 
Friday, April 21 at 2 PM
Moraga, Calif. 
Korth Tennis Courts 
 
BYU Cougars (10-8) at Saint Mary's Gaels (7-10)
Saturday, April 22 at 10 AM
Moraga, Calif.
Korth Tennis Courts
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels played some solid tennis over the weekend, as SMC came back from a 1-0 deficit against Portland, but were unable to get the win over Gonzaga. 
 
All but one single's match went three sets, as the Gaels dug deep to beat the Pilots away from home. 
 
In the #3 match, Iman Khan played composed tennis to win her match in two sets. After a tough first set resulted in a 7-6 victory, Khan found her stride, confidently beating Aleksandra Dimitrijevic to win the second set 6-2. 
 
The #2 match featured on of the best matches of the day, as SMC's Lene Mari Hovda battled Portland's Rimona Rouf. After dropping the first set 4-6, Hovda found her rhythm, as she bounced back to win the second set 6-3.
 
With all to play for in the third set, both players fought tooth and nail for every point. Hovda dug deep, winning two crucial games in the end of the third to complete the defiant comeback. The SMC player narrowly won the third set 7-5, tying the overall score at two points apiece with three matches to go. 
 
Freshman Tian Yu Dong also found herself in the heat of battle against Portland's Meagan Pearson. After Dong solidly won the first set 6-3, she got caught on the flip side, losing the second set 6-3. The young Gael was undeterred, as she stormed back in the third set to dominate Pearson 6-0.
 
Stefanie Silva was a wizard in the #5 match, as she too faced a three-set thriller. After winning the first set 6-3, her opponent, Alaia Rubio Perez, was able to get herself back into the match by winning the second set 6-2. Silva wouldn't go down without a fight, as she knew she could clinch the overall victory with a third set win. 
 
She dug deep, fighting off every return Perez had for her. As they entered a third set tiebreak, Silva stepped it up a notch, propelling past Perez to win the third set 7-5, clinching the impressive overall victory in the process. 
 
Against the Zags, The Gaels looked to once again comeback from a 1-0 deficit entering the singles matches.
 
Senior Lene Mari Hovda continued her strong singles play from yesterday, as she took on the Zags Adrianna Sosnowska. Hovda barely let the Bulldogs player get into the match as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory. 
 
Stefanie Silva also continued her strong play from the day prior as she battled Gonzaga's Rose Hayes. Silva barely broke a sweat as she rolled over Hayes 6-2, 6-3. 
 
Despite some strong play in singles, the Zags were able to clinch the overall win over SMC in the #3 match. Olivia Rook took on Gonzaga's Kianna Oda. Rook started off strong in the first set, but Oda was quickly able to settle her play and start dominating the match. Rook tried her best, but the Bulldogs player pulled away to win 6-3, 6-3, clinching the overall victory for the Zags. 
 
ABOUT SAN DIEGO
The Toreros enter their Friday matchup with the Gaels with a 10-8 overall record and a perfect 4-0 conference record. San Diego have lost their last three matches to #13 Stanford, #47 SMU, and #5 Pepperdine. Head Coach Nadia Abdala is in her first full season as the Torero's head coach after being the assistant for the program for eight seasons. SMC has struggled to beat San Diego over the past few seasons, as the Toreros hold a 6-5 record over the Gaels, with their last few matchups resulting in San Diego wins. 
 
ABOUT BYU
The Cougars face off against the Gaels on Saturday with a 10-8 record on the season thus far. With a 4-3 conference record, BYU have faltered their past few matches, losing three in a row to San Diego, Washington, and Pepperdine. The Cougars will take on the Pacific Tigers on Friday April 21 before taking on the Gaels the following day. BYU head coach Holly Parkinson Hasler is in her 5^th season in charge of the program after taking charge of the Cougars in 2018. The Gaels have had the upper hand on BYU over the past few years, with SMC leading the all-time matchups 6-2. The Gaels will look to rebound following a 4-2 loss to the Cougars last season in Moraga.