CHENEY, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University women's tennis squad gears up for three matches over the weekend beginning with a doubleheader against No.39 Washington State on March 20 in Pullman Wash., with the first match set to start at 11 a.m. Pacific time and the second at 3 p.m. PT. The following day, EWU heads to Lewiston, Idaho to face Lewis-Clark State on March 21 with the match set to begin at 11 a.m. PT at the LCSC Tennis Center.
EWU will play a clinch/clinch format for the first match against WSU, and a simultaneous format for the second. In the clinch/clinch format, if one team wins two of the doubles matches, the third doubles match will stop and remain unfinished – and if one team gets to four team points in singles play, all of the remaining matches will stop and remain unfinished. In simultaneous format, the match will only go to five points instead of the normal seven, which includes one doubles match and four singles matches all at the same time. Furthermore, all five matches will be played in the two out of three set format, rather than just one set for doubles, and each match is worth one point for a total of five points.
Live stats will not be available for the match at LC State, but fans can catch the live stats versus Washington State
HERE.
"We are grateful for another opportunity to play WSU in a doubleheader this weekend. They are a nationally ranked program and we know we belong at this level. We will use these opportunities to build and develop," said head coach
Dustin Hinson. "We also look forward to a great match at LC State. They are always a really tough national-level NAIA program and we prepare for a battle each time we step on the court with them."
The Eagles are returning after facing Pac-12 opponent Arizona and falling 7-0 at a neutral site in Pullman, Wash. EWU sits at a 3-6 overall record and is undefeated at home with victories over Whitworth and Seattle University.
Eastern faced Washington State earlier in the season and fell to a score of 5-2 in Pullman, Wash. The Eagles went 0-3 in doubles play but found success in a pair of freshmen in
Jennifer Kida and
Scout Mathews as they beat their opponents in singles play to collect the two points.
The Eagles have yet to find victory over the Cougars as they have an 0-25 overall series record.
The Cougar squad is led by head coach Lisa Hart who enters her 18th season at the helm. Hart leads her team to an overall winning record of 8-6. Additionally, Savanna Ly-Nguyen is on a four-match winning streak and holds a 9-1 record at No.5 singles.
The Eagles have a winning 22-11 all-time series record versus LC State and a 15-match winning streak with their last defeat dated back to April of 2005. Additionally, EWU has only giving up a total of 12 points in the 15-match span with six shutout wins.
LC State is led by head coach Kai Fong and they are assisted by Robert Uhlenkott and Mei Fong. They have an overall record of 2-6 and currently on a three-match losing streak.
Following the three matches over the weekend, the Eagles gear up for their Big Sky Conference opener against Idaho on April 3 at 11 a.m. in Cheney, Wash.
