CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington women's tennis sweeps the Treasure State
The Eagles showed resilience and grit throughout the match, winning the doubles point and three singles contests to secure the victory.
"I'm really proud of the team's fight today," head coach Dustin Hinson said. "We came in with a clear focus on energy after being a bit flat in doubles last week. The team believed in themselves, stayed present, and kept that never-say-die attitude. That mindset really carried us through some tough moments in singles, and it's exactly what we want heading into conference play."
Eastern started strong in doubles, sweeping all three matches to take a 1-0 lead. Zoe Pradel and Olivia Marais led the way with a 7-5 win over Montana's Meghna Anand and Kelsey Phillips, followed by victories from Anait Arutiunian/Sara Vasic (6-4) and Leandra Nizetic/Maria Lopez (6-3).
Singles action was a battle, with five of six matches going to three sets and one additional match decided in two tightly contested sets. Veronika Gayevyk earned a 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) win at No. 4 singles, while Zoe Pradel fought back to take her No. 3 match 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
The decisive moment came at No. 5 singles, where Olivia Marais overcame a first-set loss to sweep the next two sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, clinching the fourth point and the team victory.
"What's great about this team is that they don't let tough moments define them," Hinson added. "They find a way through focus, energy, and belief in themselves. That's the kind of mindset that will carry us through the rest of conference play."
Results
Singles
-
Kelsey Phillips (UM) def. Leandra Nizetic (EWU) 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 7-5
-
Meghna Anand (UM) def. Anait Arutiunian (EWU) 7-6 (7-2), 2-6, 7-5
-
Zoe Pradel (EWU) def. Monika Fizova (UM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
-
Veronika Gayevyk (EWU) def. Kate Prichard (UM) 7-5, 7-6 (7-2)
-
Olivia Marais (EWU) def. Paige Bott (UM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
-
Kamila Slovakova (UM) def. Aneliss Zamfirescu (EWU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Doubles
-
Zoe Pradel / Olivia Marais (EWU) def. Meghna Anand / Kelsey Phillips (UM) 7-5
-
Anait Arutiunian / Sara Vasic (EWU) def. Kaylin Kielty / Paige Bott (UM) 6-4
-
Leandra Nizetic / Maria Lopez (EWU) def. Shivika Agrawal / Monika Fizova (UM) 6-3
Up Next
Eastern stays at Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse and hosts Sacramento State on Friday, March 20, at 11 a.m.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
