March 5, 2005

LAS VEGAS - Utah State's women's tennis team lost a close match to UC Riverside Saturday afternoon, losing 4-3. With the loss the Aggies fell to 4-5, while UC Riverside improved to 3-7.

Saturday's match began non-traditionally with the singles matches being played first because of threatening weather in Las Vegas. The Aggies went down 0-3 early, but evened things out to 3-3 when singles were finished. Jill Smith won the No. 2 spot in a close game against Casey Cross. Cross won the first set 6-2 before Smith finished things off 7-6, 6-2. Courtney Anderson picked up her seventh win this season as she beat Satrisha Cabenilla in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 for the No. 4 spot. Aggie Andrea Barker also picked up another win at the No. 5 spot in a match that went three sets before finishing 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Utah State lost the doubles point, and the match, as only the No. 3 tandem of Lauren Monson and Smith were able to pull off a win, beating Cabanilla and Collette Chau 8-3.

"It was a disappointing loss," Utah State head coach Christian Wright said. "The loss itself was disappointing, but it was even more disappointing that as a team we didn't put forth our best effort. We didn't play to our potential, and it came back to bite us in the butt."

Utah State tennis will now take a week off before heading to Hawai'i to play BYU Hawai'i, Hawai'i and Hawai'i Pacific on March 15, 16 and 17.

UC Riverside 4, Utah State 3
DOUBLES:1. Cross/Espiritu (UCR) def. Bennion/Stephens 8-42. Beyronneau/Yoshimoto (UCR) def. Anderson/Barker 8-43. Monson/Smith (USU) def. Cabanilla/Chau 8-3
SINGLES:1. Michelle Beyronneau (UCR) def. Lindsey Bennion 6-4, 6-32. Jill Smith (USU) def. Casey Cross 2-6, 7-6, 6-23. H.R. Espirtu (UCR) def. Carolyn Stephens 6-3, 6-34. Courtney Anderson (USU) def. Satrisha Cabanilla  1-6, 6-4, 6-25. Andrea Barker (USU) def. Eri Yoshimoto 7-5, 3-6, 6-36. Collette Chau (UCR) def. Lauren Monson 6-2, 6-4