Box Score
SPOKANE, Wash.—Six games. Six consecutive games. That's what stood between Kylie Peek plus the rest of the Gonzaga University women's tennis team and victory Saturday afternoon.
Turns out that's alright.
Down 1-5 in the third set of the only match still playing, Peek pulled off an incredulous comeback, winning each of the last six games in the third set for a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win over Silvia Tumova of Grand Canyon. The win, Gonzaga's fourth singles victory of the day, clinched the match and a 6-0 record for Gonzaga, the school's best start to a season according to available records.
"Kylie showed tremendous composure out there," said Gonzaga women's tennis assistant coach Caroline Lilley. "She didn't let the moment get to her and bought into playing aggressive tennis. But it wasn't just Kylie out there, the team was behind her, and the rest of the squad's actions were as well."
Alex Bourguignon and Melanie Yates started the Zags' strong singles play, taking an early match lead with wins in the first two singles contests to finish. Bourguignon picked up her 15th win of the season with a 6-1, 6-3 win on court four, and Yates played some of her strongest tennis of the season in a 6-2, 6-0 win on court five, rolling through Grand Canyon's Lana Macukat.
In the sixth singles position, Franziska Koehler gave the Zags their third point with a two-set victory, her fifth of the dual season. She beat the Lopes' Lana Rinaldi 6-3, 6-1 for the Zags' third point on the day.
Each of the singles contests on Nos. 1-3 was a tightly-contested match, all heading to third sets. Katie Edwards won the first set at No. 1 singles 4-6, but fell 6-2 in each of the next two sets. On court two, Samantha Polayes fell just short of another comeback. She dropped the first set 6-1, but forced a third set with a 5-7 win in the second. Grand Canyon's Tatum Prudhomme won the deciding set 6-3 to take the point for the ‘Lopes.
The Zags opened the match by dropping the doubles point for the first time this season. Yates and Bourguignon won their pairs contest on court two 6-4 for their third doubles win of the dual season, but Grand Canyon won on courts one and three to take the doubles point.
"We're really proud of the team as they competed as nine strong today," said Lilley. "We look forward to getting better each and every day from here forward."
Gonzaga (6-0) will hit the road for the first time this season next Saturday, Feb. 28. They'll make the short trek to Pullman, Wash., for an 11:00 a.m. contest at Washington State.
Gonzaga 4, Grand Canyon 3
Feb 21, 2015 at Spokane, Wash. (The Stevens Center)
Singles competition |
1. Annoual, Priscilla (GCUWTEN) def. EDWARDS, Katie (GON) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
2. Prudhomme, Tatum (GCUWTEN) def. POLAYES, Samantha (GON) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 |
3. PEEK, Kylie (GON) def. Tumova, Silvia (GCUWTEN) 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 |
4. BOURGUIGNON, Alex (GON) def. Petrzalkova, Alexand (GCUWTEN) 6-1, 6-3 |
5. YATES, Melanie (GON) def. Macukat, Lana (GCUWTEN) 6-2, 6-0 |
6. KOEHLER, Franziska (GON) def. Rinaldi, Lana (GCUWTEN) 6-3, 6-1 |
Doubles competition |
1. Annoual, Priscilla/Prudhomme, Tatum (GCUWTEN) def. EDWARDS, Katie/POLAYES, Samantha (GON) 6-4 |
2. YATES, Melanie/BOURGUIGNON, Alex (GON) def. Tumova, Silvia/Petrzalkova, Alexand (GCUWTEN) 6-4 |
3. Macukat, Lana/Rinaldi, Lana (GCUWTEN) def. PEEK, Kylie/KOEHLER, Franziska (GON) 6-4 |
Match Notes |
Grand Canyon 2-4 |
Gonzaga 6-0 |
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (4,5,6,1,2,3) |
