Craig Leads Cougars to Win Against Denver

DENVER -- It was a tough match for the Cougars, but the BYU women’s tennis team pulled away with the 4-3 win against Denver Friday to push its record to 3-3.

“The girls fought really hard in tough circumstances,” BYU head coach Lauren Jones-Spencer said. “There was a big home crowd and a lot of noise. The girls struggled a little in singles, but they fought back, played hard and pulled out a win.”

Freshman Callie Craig of Orem, Utah, shone for the Cougars, soundly putting away Pioneers Sophia Bergner and Steffi Rath 8-3 with doubles partner Megan Price and following up with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 singles win against Emma Isberg. The wins were her fourteenth in singles and in doubles for the season.

A BYU loss on Court 3 in doubles tied the score before senior duo Elle Carney and Elizaveta Ezhova defeated Isberg and Elena Najera-Salas 9-7 to take the doubles point for BYU.

Denver’s Bergner and Najera-Salas picked up two wins to take the lead before Craig’s singles victory and Desiree Tran’s defeat of Natalie Dunn in a tiebreaker 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5). Caroline Schnell defeated Ezhova 6-3, 7-6 (4) to tie the match 3-3.

The match came down to Court 6, where Aubrey Paul took down Rath in straight sets (6-2, 7-5) to clinch the win for BYU.

The Cougars will play Tulane in Denver tonight at 6 p.m.

BYU vs. Denver
BYU-4    UD-3
Doubles
1. Craig/Price (BYU) def. Bergner/Rath (UD) 8-3
2. Carney/Ezhova (BYU) def. Isberg/Najera-Salas (UD) 9-7 
3. Dunn/Schnell (UD) def. Paul/Tran (BYU) 8-4
Order of finish: 1,3,2
Singles
1. Sophia Bergner (UD) def. Megan Price (BYU) 6-3, 6-1
2. Elena Najera-Salas (UD) def. Elle Carney (BYU) 6-1, 6-7(4) 6-3 
3. Calle Craig (BYU) def. Emma Isberg (UD) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 
4. Desiree Tran (BYU) def. Natalie Dunn (UD) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) 
5. Caroline Schnell (UD) def. Elizaveta Ezhova (UD) 6-3, 7-6(4) 
6. Aubrey Paul (BYU) def. Steffi Rath (UD) 6-2, 7-5
Order of finish: 1,2,3,4,5,6