OMAHA, Neb. – Utah State women's tennis (9-7, 0-0 MW) ended non-conference play with a 7-0 sweep against North Dakota (9-8, 2-1 Summit) on Saturday afternoon at the Hanscom Tennis Center.
This is the first time the Aggies have won five-straight matches since the 2013-14 season, when they recorded five-straight wins to open dual match play.
"It was a nice win today. We played hard and smart and found a win on every court," said head coach Sean McInerney. "We have won five matches in a row heading into conference play, which is a great sign. We have improved tremendously over the past month and a half and I'm very proud of that. We kept working hard and it was only a matter of time before we started finding some wins."
Utah State earned the doubles point as junior Hannah Jones and sophomore Alexandra Taylor recorded a 6-2 win at the top spot, and junior Lucy Octave and freshman Annaliese County earned a 6-2 win of their own at the third position.
In singles play, all six Aggies earned a victory to capture the sweep over the Fighting Hawks. Pisareva cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 sweep at the No. 1 spot, Octave, edged out a 7-6, 6-2 win at the No. 2 spot, Jones recorded a 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 3 spot, County won, 6-3, 7-5, at the No. 5 spot, freshman Sidnee Lavatai recorded a 7-5, 6-4 win at the No. 6 spot and freshman Gabrielle Dekkers clinched the match with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the No. 4 spot.
Utah State will have a week and a half break before opening its Mountain West schedule in Albuquerque, N.M., as the Aggies take on New Mexico (7-7, 0-0 MW) on Friday, April 5, at noon. USU then travels to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face Air Force (18-1, 1-0 MW) on Saturday, April 7, at noon.
Fans can follow USU's women's tennis team on Twitter @USUWomensTennis, on Facebook at UtahStateWomensTennis or on Instagram @USUWomensTennis. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter at @USUAthletics, on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics or on Instagram at @USUAthletics.
RESULTS
Utah State 7, North Dakota 0
Doubles
1. Hannah Jones/Alexandra Taylor (USU) def. Masha Lobanova/Kaede Amano (ND) 6-2
2. Alexandra Pisareva/Sidnee Lavatai (USU) vs. Zahra Finnigan/Alex Revenig (ND) 5-2, unfinished
3. Lucy Octave/Annaliese County (USU) def. Isa Sullivan/Preethi Kasilingam (ND) 6-2
Singles
1. Alexandra Pisareva (USU) def. Isa Sullivan (ND) 6-0, 6-0
2. Lucy Octave (USU) def. Kaede Amano (ND) 7-6, 6-2
3. Hannah Jones (USU) def. Preethi Kasilingam (ND) 6-2, 6-1
4. Gabrielle Dekkers (USU) def. Zahra Finnigan (ND) 6-3, 6-3
5. Annaliese County (USU) def. Alex Revenig (ND) 6-3, 7-5
6. Sidnee Lavatai (USU) def. Masha Lobanova (ND) 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6)
Match Notes:
Utah State 9-7
North Dakota 9-8
-USU-
