LAS VEGAS (March 22, 2002) ? The No. 31 BYU women?s tennis team pushed No. 17 UNLV to the limits, but fell just short, losing Friday?s match 4-3. The Cougars (6-10, 1-1) stormed out and won the doubles point by winning all three doubles matches, but could only pull out two singles matches.
Brooke Beverley and Dominique Reynolds, the No. 32 ranked doubles team in the nation, started things right for BYU at No. 1 doubles, winning their match 8-6. Lindsay Ferrell and Lu Oswald won 8-6 at No. 2 and Liza Khoudoiarova and Rebecca Pike took their match at No. 3.
In singles play though, the Rebels came back to win the first three matches. Paulina Janus knocked off Pike at No. 1, and Gyorgi Zsiros defeated Ferrell at No. 2. Beverley won the first set in her match at No. 4, but Tracie Chong overcame the setback to win the next two sets.
The Cougars still had a chance, if Oswald, Reynolds and Khoudoiatova could win their matches. Oswald won in straight sets at No. 3 to pick up BYU?s second point. But Khoudoiarova lost a tough three-set match to Amy Hadziosmanovic at No. 6 to clinch the match for the Rebels. Reynolds, who did not lose a match in BYU?s recent seven-match homestand, continued her winning ways by defeating Marianne Bakken in straight sets at No. 5.
BYU will take on San Diego State University Saturday at 10 a.m. in Las Vegas. The No. 39 Aztecs will be BYU?s third conference match, and the Cougars will then have the rest of the week off.
FINAL RESULTSDOUBLES
No. 1 No. 32 Beverley/Reynolds (BYU) def. Abram/Janus (UNLV) 8-6
No. 2 Ferrell/Oswald (BYU) def. Bakken/Zsiros (UNLV) 8-6
No. 3 Khoudoiarova/Pike (BYU) def. Chong/Oosthuizen (UNLV) 7-7 ret.
BYU WINS DOUBLES POINT
SINGLES
No. 1 No. 71 Paulina Janus def. Rebecca Pike (BYU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 No. 88 Gyorgi Zsiros def. Lindsay Ferrell 7-5, 6-1
No. 3 Lu Oswald (BYU) def. Agnieszka Abram (UNLV) 7-5, 6-4
No. 4 Tracie Chong (UNLV) def. Brooke Beverley (BYU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-0
No. 5 Dominique Reynolds (BYU) def. Marianne Bakken 7-6, 7-5
No. 6 Amy Hadziosmanovic (UNLV) def. Liza Khoudoiarova 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
UNLV WINS MATCH 4-3
PROVO -- The No. 31 BYU women's tennis team resumes its quest to repeat as Mountain West Conference champions this weekend with two conference matches. The Cougars (6-9, 1-0) play No. 17 UNLV Friday at 2 p.m. and No. 39 San Diego State Saturday for their first conference matches in two months.
BYU comes off a tough weekend of tennis, losing two of three matches to ranked opponents. Despite the losses, BYU jumped 13 spots in the rankings. Also in the rankings, Brooke Beverley and Dominique Reynolds are No. 32 in the nation in doubles. The tandem has won five straight matches and six of seven.
BYU's only conference match so far came against Air Force in January, with the Cougars winning the match 6-1. BYU hopes the addition of Rebecca Pike to the singles and doubles lineups will leadto similar success this weekend. Pike played in her first match Monday against TCU.
UNLV features two top-100 singles players and playing on its homecourt should prove to be a tough test for the Cougars. San Diego State will also provide a stiff challenge as the Cougars try to repeat 2001's feat of going through conference play undefeated.
