Jan. 16, 2016 Box Score
LOGAN, Utah.--It was a new-look lineup for the Gonzaga University women's tennis team to begin the 2016 season, but familiar faces powered the Bulldogs as they downed Utah State 5-2 at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club Saturday in Logan, Utah.
Senior Samantha Polayes and sophomore Alex Bourguignon each picked up two wins apiece in the season opener as their doubles wins helped Gonzaga clinch the doubles point to begin the match. After the Aggies won the first pairs contest to finish, Polayes and partner Sophie Whittle evened the competition with a 6-4 win atop the doubles lineup. At No. 2 doubles, Bourguignon and senior Melanie Yates prevailed in a tiebreak 7-6 (5) to secure the additional point for Gonzaga.
In singles play, Polayes and Bourguignon spurred on the lineup filled with the Bulldogs' four freshmen. Polayes picked up the first individual win for the Zags, beating the Aggies' Monika Van De Vondel in two sets at 6-3, 7-6 (5) on court three. After nine wins in tournament play, Saturday's singles victory put Polayes at 10 on the year.
Shortly after Polayes' win, Bourguignon added another point for the Zags with a quick three-setter at No. 4 singles. The Seattle native swept the first set at 6-0, but Utah State's Sabrina Demerath counted with a 2-6 score in the second. Bourguignon bounced back to take the third set 6-1, putting the Zags on the brink of victory.
At No. 2 singles, freshman Nevada Apollo took Ekaterina Tugarinova to three sets with a win in the second, but the Aggie prevailed in the third for Utah State's first point on the day. Minutes later, Whittle clinched the match for Gonzaga with a tight two-set win atop the doubles lineup. She took the first set 6-4 and the second via a tiebreak at 7-6 (7) for her first career dual victory.
Fellow freshman Graciela Rosas picked up another point for the Zags at No. 5 singles. She took a close first set with an extra game but swept through the second, beating opponent Maggie O'Meara 7-5, 6-0. The Aggies got another point at No. 6 singles where Domonique Garley won eight total games but fell 6-3, 7-5 to Meghan Lyall.
"We are taking confidence from the way we prepared and relying on the hard work put in during the fall and offseason," said Gonzaga women's tennis assistant coach Megan Falcon. "Our goal is to get better every dual match this year and it is great to start on such a positive note."
The Zags will wrap up their opening weekend of the dual schedule Sunday, Jan. 17, with a match at Utah. The contest with the 51st-ranked Utes will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pacific in Salt Lake City.
