March 7, 2016 Box Score
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.--With strong doubles play and an early burst in singles, the Gonzaga University women's tennis team took down Boston University 6-1 Monday afternoon, picking up its sixth dual victory in a row.
The Zags got an early boost with solid doubles play. Atop the doubles lineup, Sophie Whittle and Samantha Polayes beat Boston's Lauren Davis and Kim McCallum 6-1 for their 11th consecutive pairs victory. They also haven't lost in their last 12 matches, dating back to the beginning of the Gonzaga Invitational in November. With the win, they've tied the program record for doubles victories in a season.
At No. 2 doubles, Melanie Yates and Alex Bourguignon doubled up Iryna Kostirko and Barbara Rodriguez 6-3 to clinch the doubles point for GU. Yates and Bourguignon picked up their fifth win of the dual season.
In singles play, Gonzaga won the first three matches to finish, clinching the victory. Freshman Graciela Rosas continued her hot play with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Kim McCallum on court five. The Mexicali, Mexico native has ceded no more than two games in each of her last three matches. Down one spot in the lineup, Domonique Garley continued her strong play as well, beating Barbara Rodriguez in two sets. She doubled up Rodriguez in the first set but took the second via a tiebreak for a 6-3, 7-6 (5).
At No. 3 singles, Nevada Apollo clinched the match with a three-set win over Sabrina Faybyshev, winning 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. It's her fourth clinching point of the season.
Boston University then picked up a point when Polayes fell to Kostirko at No. 2 singles, but Bourguignon and Whittle finished off the match with two wins for GU. Bourguignon won in a third set super tiebreak while Whittle won in two sets but took both in 7-5 tiebreaks.
Gonzaga's dual win is its sixth in a row, the second such streak in as many years for the Bulldogs; they opened the 2015 season with six consecutive victories. Apollo, Bourguignon, Garley, and Rosas each also extended their win streaks to six matches.
"It was great to play again after such a long break," said Gonzaga women's tennis head coach D.J. Gurule. "Boston is a tough team, and I was very pleased with our composure and effort today."
The Zags continue their Spring Break trip to Palm Springs with a match Wednesday, March 9 against Toledo. That contest will begin at 1:00 p.m.
