Box Score

CLAREMONT, Calif.--The Gonzaga University women's tennis team saw its most successful season in program history end Friday, falling 4-0 to Saint Mary's in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference Championships.

"It was a tough match, Saint Mary's played well," said Gonzaga head coach D.J. Gurule. "It is always tough to lose your last match, but I am really proud of this team; they have been very special. They have given so much of themselves this year, and we are honored to coach them."

Saint Mary's took the doubles point that began Friday's semifinal, winning both pairs contests to finish. At No. 3 doubles, Garley and Sissi Koehler were tied at 5-all when that match was halted and left unfinished due to the Gaels winning on courts one and two.

Once singles started, the Gaels took a 2-0 lead with a win on court two, where senior Samantha Polayes wrapped up her collegiate career with a two-set loss to Jamie Pawid. Despite the loss, Polayes will leave Gonzaga with a program-record 80 singles wins during her four-year career. On court five, Graciela Rosas tried to fight back from a 6-1 first set loss by winning three games in the second, but it wasn't enough as she dropped a two-setter to put Saint Mary's on the brink.

The Gaels got that clinching point at No. 3 singles, where Nevada Apollo took seven games from foe Clementine Clement in a 6-3, 6-4 defeat.

Three matches were halted when Saint Mary's picked up its clinching win. Atop the singles lineup, Sophie Whittle led Jana McCord by a set after winning her first in a tiebreak. On court No. 4, Alex Bourguignon pushed Kareena Manji into an extra game in the first set before dropping it. Manji also lead the second set. Meanwhile, at No. 6 singles, Domonique Garley bounced back from a tough first set to push Parminder Kaur into extra games in the second. She was down 5-6 in that second set when the match was wrapped up.

The loss wraps up the program's best-ever season. The Bulldogs set school records with 16 dual wins - including an 11-match win streak - a second-place finish in the WCC regular season standings, while Garley posted a record 25 overall wins, as did the doubles team of Polayes and Whittle.

"Sam, Sissi, and Mel [Melanie Yates] are irreplaceable," said Gurule of his three seniors. "We definitely cannot fill their shoes but will do our best to continue to do things the right way and build on the foundation they have set for Gonzaga women's tennis."

The Zags do graduate Koehler, Polayes, and Yates, but they return Bourguignon, Apollo, Garley, Rosas, and Whittle. Additionally, two incoming freshmen signed NLIs in November 2015 and will suit up for Gonzaga next season.