March 10, 2016 Box Score
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.--Senior Samantha Polayes picked up a big win Thursday.
Not only was her victory the clinching point in Gonzaga's 4-3 comeback win against Liberty, but it was also her 75th career singles win. With the milestone victory, she moved into first place on the women's tennis team's career singles wins list, passing former Zag great Sarah Ust.
Polayes picked up the win at No. 2 singles, where she faced Liberty's Anna Dollar. The Morgan Hill, Calif., native won the first set by a 6-2 margin, but Dollar won the second at 3-6 to force a deciding third set. During that final frame, Polayes ground her way to a 7-5 extra-game victory to extend GU's dual win streak to eight matches. The win is her 14th of the 2015-16 season; she's won at least that many all four years at Gonzaga, setting her career high as a freshman at 24 in 2012-13. Twenty more wins came in 2013-14 as a sophomore, and last year she added 17.
Three other Zags picked up singles wins Thursday to spur the Zags back after dropping the doubles point to begin the match. Graciela Rosas started the rally at No. 5 singles, brushing past Mariely Hassey with a 6-0, 6-2 win. It's her eighth win in a row and fifth consecutive match where she's ceded two or fewer games. Fellow freshman Domonique Garley also extended her win streak, taking down Valerie Thong at No. 6 singles. She won the first set by a break at 6-4 and then doubled up the Lady Flame 6-3 in the second for her eighth win in a row as well.
Garley's point gave GU a 2-1 lead, but Liberty evened up the dual with a win at No. 3 singles and re-took the lead at 3-2 after Sophie Whittle fell in three sets atop the lineup. At No. 4 singles, sophomore Alex Bourguignon re-tied the match, however, picking up a three-set victory of her own. She took the first set against opponent Belen Rivera 6-2, but Rivera won the second set at 3-6 to force the third. The Seattle native won that by a break at 6-4 for her eighth consecutive individual win as well.
Liberty began the match by winning the doubles point via two doubles wins. Just a day after becoming the program's most successful doubles pair in a single season, Polayes and Whittle saw a 12-match win streak snapped with a 6-3 loss at No. 1 doubles. Bourguignon and Melanie Yates, meanwhile, forced an extra game at No. 2, but it wasn't enough as they fell 7-5.
On court three, Garley and Sissi Koehler led their opponents 4-2 in a tiebreak when that match was halted.
"I was impressed with our fortitude today," said Gonzaga head coach D.J. Gurule. "We came out pretty flat in doubles but really dug down deep in singles. Liberty is a very well-coached team and they were ready to play; we were fortunate to come out with the win. We enjoyed our time in Palm Springs but are looking forward to coming back to Spokane to play a home match on Sunday."
Gonzaga (9-1) will now return home for their final non-conference match of the year, a 10:00 a.m. showdown March 13 against Weber State. That contest will take place at The Stevens Center, where the Zags are undefeated at 5-0 this season.
