SPOKANE, Wash.—The Gonzaga University women's tennis squad put up a strong comeback bid against San Francisco Friday afternoon, winning three singles matches and threatening in two more before falling to the #58 Dons at The Stevens Center in Spokane.
Melanie Yates started the Zags' comeback attempt on court No. 5. Yates picked up a two-set win over Genevieve McCloskey, winning the first set in an extra game at 7-5, and taking the second 6-4. The win was her ninth overall and eighth of the dual season. She now has a .500 record both overall and in dual play.
On court two, Samantha Polayes challenged Thyra Taune for three sets. The two traded set victories in the first two frames, and Polayes extended the third frame even more by winning three straight games, going from a 3-5 deficit to a 5-5 tie. Tuane won the next two games, however, and ended Polayes' comeback bid.
The Zags' comeback bid was officially ended with the next match to finish, but the Zags looked very threatening in those 20 minutes in between. Alex Bourguignon, Kylie Peek, and Franziska Koehler were all still playing and very much in contention in each of their three-set matches. On court six, Koehler won the middle set in her three-set affair but fell to Sofia Holmberg 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. That point was San Francisco's fourth and clinching point
Less than two minutes after Koehler finished, Bourguignon picked up a win on court three. The freshman took down USF's Marina Nikolic after coming just short in the first set 5-7. Bourguignon took the last two by scores of 7-5 and 6-3 for the win, her 24th of the season and first at the No. 3 spot in the lineup.
Peek also won her singles match, giving the Zags their third point. She and Milica Hadzi-Tanovic traded the first sets 6-4 and 2-6. In the third set, Peek rushed out to a 5-1 lead, but Hadzi-Tanovic won the next five games to go up 5-6. Peek bounced back to force a tiebreak, which she won 7-4 for the 6-4, 2-6, 7-7 (4) win.
San Francisco got their two-point lead to begin the match with the doubles point and a win at No. 1 singles. The Dons won the first two pairs matches to finish, and Katie Edwards ran up against a tough Andrea Ka, ranked #125 in the nation, and fell in two sets.
The Zags (11-8, 2-6 WCC) wrap up the regular season Saturday, April 18, at 10:00 a.m. against Santa Clara. Prior to the match, Gonzaga will honor its three seniors - Edwards, Peek, and Alexandra Tallas - in a short Senior Day ceremony.
