SPOKANE, Wash. – Gonzaga women's tennis opened West Coast Conference play on Saturday, falling 4-0 to Washington State at the Stevens Center.

The Bulldogs (7-7, 0-1) began the dual with an impressive victory against the Cougars' No. 1 doubles team. Emily Robertson/Ella Nielsen won 6-4 over Eva Alvarez/Maxine Murphy, who entered the match ranked No. 41 in the latest ITA rankings and on a seven-match winning streak, including sweeps over nationally-ranked duos from Baylor (#7) and TCU (#24).

WSU (11-5, 1-0) bounced back, outlasting Rose Hayes/Lia Espinal (7-5) and Norhan Hesham/Safien Boulonois (7-6) to claim the doubles point.

The Cougars carried that momentum to singles, clinching the overall match with wins over Espinal (6-3, 6-1), Hesham (6-3, 6-3), and Nielsen (6-3, 6-2).

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs continue WCC play with home duals against Saint Mary's (March 28) and Pacific (March 29). For those unable to attend, live video and stats will be available at GoZags.com.

MATCH NOTES
- GU women's tennis is now 7-7 overall and 0-1 in WCC play this dual season, with wins over Michigan State, Eastern Washington, New Mexico State, New Mexico, Air Force, Montana, and Seattle.
- The Bulldogs, who opened the season 5-1, are now 5-2 at the Stevens Center, with the other defeat coming to Washington (Feb. 9).
- WSU, which entered the match ranked No. 57 in the latest ITA team rankings, is now 11-5 overall and 1-0 in WCC duals.

3/22 Dual Results:
Washington State 4, Gonzaga 0

Doubles
1. Emily Robertson/Ella Nielsen def. No. 41 Eva Alvarez/Maxine Murphy (WSU), 6-4
2. Elyse Tse/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Rose Hayes/Lia Espinal, 7-5
3. Martina Markov/Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) def. Norhan Hesham/Safien Boulonois, 7-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles
1. Emily Robertson vs. Eva Alvarez (WSU), 5-7, 1-4 (unfinished)
2. Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Norhan Hesham, 6-3, 6-3
3. Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Ella Nielsen, 6-3, 6-2
4. Rose Hayes vs. Hania Abouelsaad (WSU), 3-6, 1-5 (unfinished)
5. Safien Boulonois vs. Chisato Kanemaki (WSU), 4-6, 5-4 (unfinished)
6. Martina Puvill (WSU) def. Lia Espinal, 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6, 2, 3