Jan. 29, 2016 Box Score | Photo Gallery 
SPOKANE, Wash.--After a tight doubles point, it was smooth sailing for Gonzaga women's tennis against Montana Friday afternoon as they swept the Griz 7-0 to kick off their home schedule at The Stevens Center.
The Zags picked up the doubles point with an exciting end to the pairs contests. Both teams traded doubles wins to begin the day with Sissi Koehler and Domonique Garley getting a 6-2 win on court three and Montana's Cam Kincaid and Hannah Sulz doing the same on court two. That left the doubles point to be decided with the top doubles contest, Samantha Polayes and Sophie Whittle against Francis Dean and Haley Driver.
Gonzaga's duo pulled out to an early 2-1 lead, but the Griz's pair won the next two games to go up 2-3. The Zags responded by winning three of the next four games, but Driver and Dean forced an extra frame by tying the set at 5-all. Polayes and Whittle fought back to win the final two games, taking the match 7-5 and the doubles point for Gonzaga.
Once singles play started, Gonzaga wasted no time building on its lead, getting two points from two quick matches. At No. 6 singles, Garley easily dispatched her opponent Cat Orfanos 6-1, 6-1 for her 10th win of the 2015-16 season. Up two courts at No. 4 singles, sophomore Alex Bourguignon added another to the Zags' tally, taking her first set against Sulz by a 6-2 score before sweeping the second.
The Zags earned their clinching point on court No. 3 where Nevada Apollo also dispatched her Montana foe in two sets. She edged Lidia Dukic 6-4 in the second and won the second frame 6-2 for the win, her first dual win of the season.
Gonzaga picked up the next two points at Nos. 1 and 2 singles in similar fashion. Both Polayes and Whittle, on courts two and one, respectively, went to tiebreaks in their first set. Polayes beat her opponent, Montana's Dean, in an elongated tiebreak at 11-9 while Whittle took down Driver 7-5. Both Bulldogs dominated their second sets with Polayes sweeping for a 7-6 (9), 6-0 win and Whittle picking up a 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory.
On court No. 5, Graciela Rosas capped off Gonzaga's sweep with a three-set victory over Kincaid. The GU freshman swept the first set 6-0, but Kincaid edged Rosas in the second 4-6. In the third and deciding set, however, Rosas bounced back and won 6-2 for her seventh singles win of the year.
"Today was a quality win against a well-coached team," said Gonzaga women's tennis head coach D.J. Gurule. "It's great to open at home with a win. Overall the girls competed well; we battled some nerves but worked through them for a good result.
The Zags (2-1) continue their opening homestand on Sunday, Jan. 31, with a 10:00 a.m. contest against Nevada. That match, the first between the two clubs since 2012, will again take place in The Stevens Center.
