PORTLAND, Ore. - On the road for their lone match this week, the Eagles (2-6) fell to the Pilots (3-3) 6-1 in Portland. EWU Tennis and the Portland Pilots met in their 31st all-time meeting, with the Pilots advancing to 26-5 overall over the Eagles. 

Leandra Nizetic and Anait Arutiunian would represent the Eagles in the No. 2 doubles slot for the third time this season. They would dominate and jump out to a fast start, winning the first five points. The two would close out the 6-2 win for their second doubles victory of the season. Nizetic earned her third overall doubles win of the season, and the eighth of her career. Arutiunian would also earn her eighth career doubles victory, and has had five different doubles partners this season.

In the doubles No. 1 and No. 3  position, both pairings would be unable to get their footing. Both would fall to the Pilots 6-0 and 6-1, with Portland stealing the first point of the match. 

"I was really happy with our No. 2 doubles. They came out and pretty much dominated and that was excellent. The No. 1 and No. 3 score lines don't look great, but there were tons of deuce games in those matches and we just couldn't come up big in those big deuce point moments," head coach Dustin Hinson said.

Isabella Foshee would take the No. 1 singles position for Eagles and take a quick 2-0 first set lead. Alaia Rubio Perez would however even things up 2-2. Foshee responded, taking the next four games, and taking the first set 6-2. The second set saw Foshee fall behind 3-1, as she would be unable to gain traction and fell 6-3 to force a third set. As she did in the first set, Foshee would take a quick 2-0 lead in the third. Rubio Perez would be able to respond and win six straight games to take the third set 6-2 and win the match.

The No. 2 singles for the Eagles, Anait Arutiunian would early be in a back and forth affair in the first set. Arutiunian would win a critical fifth game to take the 3-2 lead, and use that momentum to win the first set 6-3. The momentum would continue with Arutiunian taking a 2-0 early second set lead, and would control the pace of the set and win 6-2 for her third singles dual-match victory of the season, and the fifth singles dual-match victory of her Eagle career.  

"I am super happy for Anait to go out there and just dominate her match. She played one of the best matches I have ever seen her play, and she won both of her matches today which was awesome to see," Hinson said.

The junior Leandra Nizetic would be in a familiar spot in the No. 3 position for the eighth time this season. Nizetic would be in a tight first set, and would win a huge ninth game, to take the 5-4 lead and would help in the 6-4 first set victory. In the second set, Aleksandra Dimitrijevic would be able to rip off four straight games after a 2-2 tie, and win the second set 6-2 and force a third. The third saw different three ties, 1-1, 2-2, and 3-3. Dimitrijevic would be able to pull away winning three straight games and win the third set and the match 6-3. 

"In singles, we came out No. 1, 2, and 3 super tough and came out the first set really to have  them on their heels. Portland was just able to step up and then they played pretty well in those matches," Hinson said.

In the No. 4 position, Kelly Arends would fall 6-1 in the first set. Arends would take an early 1-0 lead in the second set, but Nadine Arbaizar Martinez would be able to control the pace the rest of the way and win the second set and the match 6-2.

Kenzington Mann would see herself in the No. 5 position for the first time this season. The first set would see four ties, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5. Maria Galatescu would be able to win two straight and win the first set 7-5 over Mann. After Mann was able to take the 2-1 lead in the second, Galatescu would be able to rip five games in a row to win the second set and the match 6-2. 

Zoe Pradel would make her fifth singles appearance of the season, and her third in the No. 6 position. Falling behind early 2-0, Pradel would be able to take three of the next four and tie it 3-3. Pradel would however be able to take another game, and fall 6-3 in the first set. After taking the first game in the second set, Pradel would be in a tight second set early, but Lexie Flores would pull away with the match victory after a 6-3 second set win.

"I mean we competed well and fought hard. Everyone is playing with a good desire to compete and fight. We are looking to prepare for conference play coming up. Our schedule has been good and it was tough, we scheduled tough matches and I think that helps set us up to be ready to battle with conference coming up," Hinson said.

Up Next
Eastern will open Big Sky play Sunday, Mar. 2 at 11 a.m. and travel to Moscow to take on the Idaho Vandals.

2025 Eastern Washington Women's Tennis
February 22, 2025
Portland def. Eastern Washington 6-1
Portland, Oregon

DOUBLES
No. 1 Sally Pethybridge/Alaia Rubio Perez (UP) def. Isabella Foshee/Kenzington Mann (EWU) 6-0
No. 2 Leandra Nizetic/Anait Arutiunian (EWU) def. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic/Isabella Marquart (UP) 6-3
No. 3 Nadine Arbaizar Martinez/Lexie Flores (UP) def. Zoe Pradel/Sara Vasic (EWU) 6-1

Order of finish (1,3,2)

SINGLES
No. 1 Alaia Rubio Perez (UP) def. Isabella Foshee (EWU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Anait Arutiunian (EWU) def. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic (UP) 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 Isabella Marquart (UP) def. Leandra Nizetic (EWU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 Nadine Arbaizar Martinez (UP) def. Kelly Arends (EWU) 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 Maria Galatescu (UP) def. Kenzington Mann (EWU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 6 Lexie Flores (UP) def. Zoe Pradel (EWU) 6-3, 6-3

Order of finish: (2,1,3,4,5,6)
 

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