Cougars come up short in 5-2 loss at Colorado

BOULDER, Colo. – BYU women’s tennis (6-2) lost to Colorado (5-1), 5-2, at the South Campus Tennis Complex on Friday.

The Cougars started the day off strong, with Leah Heimuli and Emilee Astle collecting BYU’s first win by defeating Ky Ecton and Fleur Eggink in the No. 2 spot. It was the first win for Heimuli and Astle as a doubles duo. Anastasia Abramyan and Helen Jiao dropped their set, 6-4, to Sara Nayar and Sophia Derivan. Colorado’s Nayar and Derivan are a perfect 6-0 on the season in doubles play. After jumping out to a 3-1 advantage over Maria Campos and Megan Forster, Cougar freshmen Qianxin Kong and Kara Lin were just able to close out the Buffs, 7-6, to clinch the doubles point for the Cougars. BYU has now collected the doubles point in six of its first eight matches.

Colorado came into the match with a combined record of 24-6 in singles play on the season, with only one player posting multiple losses. Nayar continued the Buffs’ impressive start with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Abramyan in the No. 1 spot. Just a couple minutes later, Derivan picked up the second point for Colorado, defeating Heimuli, 6-4, 6-2. Emilee Astle locked the score at two with her sixth singles win of the year and second win of the day, 7-6, 6-4. Jiao was defeated by Campos, 6-4, 6-0, and shortly after, Lin lost to Forster in the No. 4 slot, 6-4, 6-0. Kong fought hard in the final match of the day, but was defeated by Eggink, 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5). 

The Cougars stay on the road and will play at Denver tomorrow, Feb. 20. The Pioneers are coming off a 2-4 defeat at Kansas State last week and are 3-3 on the season.

MATCH RESULTS

BYU 2, Colorado 5

Doubles Competition

1. Sara Nayar/Sophia Derivan (CU) def. Anastasia Abramyan/Helen Jiao (BYU), 6-4

2. Leah Heimuli/Emilee Astle (BYU) def. Ky Ecton/Fleur Eggink (CU), 6-1

3. Qianxin Kong/Kara Lin (BYU) def. Maria Campos/Megan Forster (CU), 7-6

Order of finish: (2, 1, 3)

Singles Competition

1. Sara Nayar (CU) def. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU), 6-1, 6-3

2. Sophia Derivan (CU) def. Leah Heimuli (BYU), 6-4, 6-2

3. Emilee Astle (BYU) def. Antonia Balzert (CU), 7-6, 6-4

4. Megan Forster (CU) def. Kara Lin (BYU), 6-2, 6-4

5. Maria Campos (CU) def. Helen Jiao (BYU), 6-4, 6-0

6. Fleur Eggink (CU) def. Qianxin Kong (BYU), 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)

Order of finish: (1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6)