Cougars Beat Fresno State, Sacramento State to Remain Undefeated

FRESNO, Calif. – BYU women’s tennis (5-0) defeated Fresno State (1-0) and Sacramento State (0-1) on Friday at the Spalding G. Wathen Tennis Center. The Cougars’ fifth consecutive win to begin the year matches their best start since the 2005-06 season, when BYU head coach Holly Parksinson Hasler was an assistant on the staff.

“I’m proud of the girls today,” Hasler said. “Our first trip to play at sea level and outdoors is always a big adjustment. We didn’t play our best, but we battled and fought hard at every position.”

Leah Heimuli and Kara Lin got things going for the Cougars early from the No. 2 doubles spot, quickly defeating Ella Husrefovic and Carlotta Nonnis Marzano of Fresno State, 6-1. Anastasia Abramyan and Elizabeth Tullis, playing as the No. 1 doubles team, clinched the doubles point for the Cougars, beating Deniza Marcinkevica and Cristina Flaquer, 6-4. Emilee Astle and Helen Jiao were on pace to defeat Dalia Ahmed and Carolina Piferi, up 6-5, but didn’t finish their match.

Things were closer in the singles matches. Four of the six matches went into the third set, but only two of them finished. Lin fell to Flaquer in the No. 3 spot, 6-0, 6-3. Abramyan picked the Cougars back up, winning the final two of three sets over Marcinkevica, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. Madeline Wanlass put the Cougars up 3-1 after defeating Carolina Piferi, 7-5, 6-2. Heimuli clinched the win for BYU in a back-and-forth match against Dalia Ahmed. Ahmed won the first set 6-3, but Heimuli grinded out a victory 7-6 (7) to even the score before taking the third set, 6-3. Astle and Jiao were in the middle of their third sets when Heimuli collected the Cougars’ fourth point and did not finish. Astle dropped the first set 1-6, but rebounded nicely, winning 6-4. She was leading 5-2 when Heimuli logged her win. Jiao was also leading at the time the match ended. Jiao defeated Husrefovic, 6-3, in the first set, dropped the second, 5-7, and led 3-2 in the third frame.

Shortly after the match against Fresno State ended, BYU took the court against Sacramento State. The Cougars swept the doubles matches, with all three teams collecting dominant wins. Heimuli and Lin defeated Megan Tagaloa and Jayden Nielsen, 6-0. Astle and Jiao also won 6-0, beating Tsveti Yotova and Ege Tomey. Abramyan and Tullis picked up the final doubles win for BYU when they defeated Shauna Casey and Grace Dodd, 6-1.

The Cougars kept things rolling in the singles matches. Lin started off by defeating Tomey in the No. 2 spot, 6-1, 6-3. Astle mirrored those results, beating Tagaloa 6-3, 6-1. Heimuli finished the day strong, with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Nielsen. Jiao defeated Yotova, 6-4, 6-3. Tullis came back against Jin Yu, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4. Xenia De Luna closed out the day for BYU with a 6-3, 5-7, 10-5 win against Casey.

The Cougars will wrap up their first road trip of the season in a Saturday matinée match against Cal Poly (1-0). The Mustangs opened their season with a decisive win over Grand Canyon on Friday, 6-1. The match is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. PST. In accordance with local health protocols, no fans will be allowed to attend.

MATCH RESULTS

BYU 4, Fresno State 1

Doubles Competition

1. Anastasia Abramyan/Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Deniza Marcinkevica/Cristina Flaquer (FSU), 6-4

2. Leah Heimuli/Kara Lin (BYU) def. Ella Husrefovic/Carlotta Nonnis Marzano (FSU), 6-1

3. Emilee Astle/Helen Jiao (BYU) v. Dalia Ahmed/Carolina Piferi (FSU), 6-5, BYU, DNF

Order of finish: (2, 1, 3)

Singles Competition

1. Anastasia Abramyan (BYU) def. Deniza Marcinkevica (FSU), 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

2. Leah Heimuli (BYU) def. Dalia Ahmed (FSU), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3

3. Cristina Flaquer (FSU) def. Kara Lin (BYU), 6-0, 6-3

4. Emilee Astle (BYU) v. A.C. Hummel (FSU), 1-6, 6-4, 5-2, BYU, DNF

5. Helen Jiao (BYU) v. Ella Husrefovic (FSU), 6-3, 5-7, 3-2, BYU, DNF

6. Madeline Almeida Wanlass (BYU) def. Carolina Piferi (FSU), 7-5, 6-2

Order of finish: (3, 1, 6, 2)

MATCH RESULTS

BYU 5, Sacramento State 0

Doubles Competition

1. Anastasia Abramyan/Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Shauna Casey/Grace Dodd (CSUS), 6-1

2. Leah Heimuli/Kara Lin (BYU) def. Megan Tagaloa/Jayden Nielsen (CSUS), 6-0

3. Emilee Astle/Helen Jiao (BYU) def. Tsveti Yotova/Ege Tomey (CSUS), 6-0

Order of finish: (2, 3, 1)

Singles Competition

1. Leah Heimuli (BYU) def. Jayden Nielsen (CSUS), 7-5, 6-1

2. Kara Lin (BYU) def. Ege Tomey (CSUS), 6-1, 6-3

3. Emilee Astle (BYU) def. Megan Tagaloa (CSUS), 6-3, 6-1

4. Helen Jiao (BYU) def. Tsveti Yotova (CSUS), 6-4, 6-3

5. Xenia De Luna (BYU) def. Shauna Casey (CSUS), 6-3, 5-7, 10-5

6. Elizabeth Tullis (BYU) def. Jin Yu (CSUS), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4

Order of finish: (2, 3, 1, 4, 6, 5)