TEMPE, Ariz. -- Facing its second opponent ranked in the top 30 this season, No. 64 BYU women’s tennis gave No. 28 Arizona State a scare in a 4-3 loss Saturday.

 

“We had another great start today with doubles,” BYU head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. “ASU came out ready in singles and took the early lead on almost every court. We fought, but it’s very difficult to play from behind and pull out a big match. Savannah(Ware) and Mo(Anderson-Littlewood) did a great job today. They both performed well.”

 

The Cougars (4-6) fell to the Sun Devils (13-2) despite taking the doubles point for a second consecutive match.

 

After falling behind with a loss at first doubles, BYU knotted the score by winning at the third slot as Anderson-Littlewood and Meghan Sheehan-Dizon finished off Stephanie Vlad and Joanna Smith, 8-6.

 

The point came down to the matchup at second doubles as freshmen Mayci Jones and Toby Miclat topped Leighann Sahagun and Ebonie Panoho, 8-4, for the 1-0 Cougar lead.

 

The Sun Devils evened the match as they swung momentum their way in singles action. 

 

Toby Miclat fell to her opponent in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0, but Anderson-Littlewood put the Cougars ahead with a two-set victory of her own, defeating Joanna Smith, 6-3, 6-3, at the sixth spot.

 

ASU took the lead again as Jones and Sheehan-Dizon both lost in two sets, bringing the match to 3-2. 

 

Sophomore Nicolette Tran attempted to knot the match at third singles. After falling 6-1 in the first set, she countered with a 6-2 win, but fell 6-0 in the third.

 

Soon after the Cougar loss at third singles, Savannah Ware finished off her opponent with the comeback victory. After being blanked in the first set, she forced her way back into control, taking the match 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.

 

BYU opens up a three-match homestand beginning with No. 65 Marshall Thursday at noon MDT followed by two West Coast Conference matches against Pacific Friday at noon and No. 34 Saint Mary's Saturday at noon.

 

#28 Arizona State 4, BYU 3

Whiteman Tennis Center

Tempe, Ariz.

Mar. 15, 2014

 

Doubles 

 

1.  Krawcyzk/Jump (ASU) def. N Tran/D. Tran (BYU), 8-3

2.  Jones/Miclat (BYU) def. Sahagun/Panoho (ASU), 8-5

3.  Anderson/Sheehan-Dizon (BYU) def. Vlad/Smith (ASU), 8-6

 

Order of Finish:  1, 3, 2

 

Singles 

 

1.  Stephanie Vlad (ASU) def. Mayci Jones (BYU), 6-4, 6-0

2.  Desirae Krawczyk (ASU) def. Meghan Sheehan-Dizon (BYU), 6-3, 6-0

3.  Leighann Sahagun (ASU) def. Nicolette Tran (BYU), 6-1, 2-6, 6-0

4.  Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Toby Miclat (BYU), 6-1, 6-0

5.  Savannah Ware (BYU) def. Ebony Panoho (ASU), 0-6, 6-4, 6-4

6.  Morgan Anderson (BYU) def. Joanna Smith (ASU), 6-3, 6-3

 

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

 

 

 

PROVO, Utah -- After a thrilling 4-3 home victory to begin West Coast Conference play, No. 64 BYU women’s tennis will take its momentum to Tempe, Ariz., for matchups against No. 50 Yale Friday at 1:30 p.m. MDT and No. 28 Arizona State Saturday at noon.

 

“We are looking forward to playing two good teams,” BYU head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. “Coming out of last weekend, we are looking to build off those matches, to play solid tennis and to keep improving.”

 

The Cougars (4-4) head into this weekend having won two in a row when they face the 4-5 Bulldogs (0-0 Ivy) and the 11-2 Sun Devils (1-0 Pac-12). 

 

Last weekend against San Francisco, the match came down to the wire at No. 6 singles between freshman Savannah Ware and Brooke Irish. Ware jumped out with a quick start by taking the first set 6-4, before the momentum shifted as she lost the second 6-0. Finding herself in a 5-2 hole, the Southern California native strung together a five-game run, winning 7-5 as she simultaneously clinched the WCC opening victory for BYU.

 

Live scoring for the match against Arizona State will be available on the BYU athletics website.

 

The Cougars return home next week for three matches in three days beginning March 20. They will face No. 65 Marshall followed by WCC opponents Pacific and No. 34 Saint Mary’s.