Netters Post First West Coast Conference Win

PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s tennis team posted its first West Coast Conference win, topping the University of San Francisco, 4-3, Saturday at the BYU Outdoor Tennis Courts.

“Doubles didn’t go very well for us,” said BYU coach Lauren Jones-Spencer. “It was hard to play today without our senior and captain [Megan Price]. We had to have new doubles teams today because of it. We had opportunities where we were up 7-4 but stopped playing aggressive and gave those matches away. I told them to play their game going into singles and they did that. They played really well and tough, they didn’t give up.”

With Price out taking the MCAT, freshman Meghan Sheehan-Dizon teamed up with sophomore Desiree Tran for the first time this spring to form the No. 1 doubles team for BYU (5-10, 1-1 WCC). The Cougars took a quick 4-1 lead before the Dons (2-8, 0-2 WCC) brought the match within one (4-3). Sheehan-Dizon and Tran held on to take the last four games to earn an 8-3 win over Julia Wartenburger and Blair Reed.

On Court 3, juniors Aubrey Paul and Andie Young fell behind early and went on to drop an 8-5 decision to Alana McMahon and Melinda Akerbrant.

Despite taking a 7-4 lead, freshmen Morgan Anderson and Lisa Waldron lost three straight sets to San Francisco on Court 2 to allow the Dons to tie the match, 7-7. Yurie Hashiguchi and Milica Hadzi Tanovic went on to win the tiebreaker, earning San Francisco the doubles point.

The Cougars started singles off strong, jumping ahead of the Dons, 3-1, with wins on courts 4, 3 and 1. Paul held her Court 4 opponent to winning one game, coming away with a 6-0, 6-1 win. Sheehan-Dizon defeated Hadzi Tanovic, 6-1, 6-3, on Court 3 before Tran topped Wartenburger, 6-3, 6-3, on Court 1.

San Francisco answered with a 6-3, 6-4 win on Court 5 over Waldron. The win was not enough, as BYU’s Anderson recorded a three-set victory over Akerbrant, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, to earn the Cougars their fourth point, securing the BYU win.

“We’re excited to play two more matches at home before hitting the road again,” said Jones-Spencer. “The girls like playing at home on familiar courts and with home fans.”

BYU continues WCC play at home next week, challenging Santa Clara Tuesday at 11 a.m. MDT before hosting Saint Mary’s Friday at noon. Admission is free and both matches will be played at the BYU Outdoor Tennis Courts.

BYU – 4
USF – 3

Singles:
1. Desiree Tran (BYU) def. Julia Wartenburger (USF) 6-3, 6-3
2. Morgan Anderson (BYU) def. Melinda Akerbrant (USF) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
3. Meghan Sheehan-Dizon (BYU) def. Milica Hadzi Tanovic (USF) 6-1, 6-2
4. Aubrey Paul (BYU) def. Yurie Hashiguchi (USF) 6-0, 6-1
5. Alana McMahon (USF) def. Lisa Waldron (BYU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Blair Reed (USF) def. Andie Young (BYU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Order of finish: 4, 3, 1, 5, 2, 6

Doubles:
1. Tran/Sheehan-Dizon (BYU) def. Wartenburger/Reed (USF) 8-3
2. Hashiguchi/Hadzi Tanovic (USF) def. Anderson/Waldron (BYU) 8-7(3)
3. McMahon/Akerbrant (USF) def. Paul/Young (BYU) 8-5
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2