LOGAN, Utah – Utah State's women's tennis team lost its Valentine's Day dual match to in-state rival BYU 5-2 on Friday at the Sports Academy & Racquet Club.
 
It was the first loss of the season for the Aggies (3-1) after opening the year with three straight wins – all at home. The Cougars (4-2), who improved to 10-1 all-time against Utah State, snapped a two-match losing streak with the win.
 
"BYU came in here and played very well," said USU head coach Sean McInerney. "They played well at every position. We are very young and we are learning. I don't think we had the best day that we are capable of, but I think we had a learning day. I know it will make us a better team to suffer some losses like this during non-conference to kind of expose us, and give us some things we need to get better at."
 
Senior Lucy Octave won at No. 1 singles for the Aggies, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, while sophomore Annaliese County closed the match with a win at No. 6 singles, 6-2, 6-4.
 
"Having Lucy win at No. 1 is huge and we need that to happen," McInerney said.
"Her journey with a double-hip surgery and to stick with it and hang in there, and stick with the program and keep working hard, and for her to get a win over BYU as a senior is very emotional for me, really. That was fantastic, so that was great to see."
 
Octave was grateful to come out victorious after losing the first set BYU's Kate Cusick Truman.
 
"It was great for me personally to get a win over BYU in my senior year," Octave said. "I played a great match today, a complete match. It was nice to get out there and beat her, so hopefully, I can just keep it up in the next couple of matches before we get to conference play."
 
The Cougars opened the match by capturing the doubles point. BYU's Emilee Astle and Polina Malykh finished first at No. 3, beating the USU duo of sophomore Gabrielle Dekkers and freshman Zara Ryan 6-2.
 
Aggie freshmen Carolina Millan and Renata Lombera teamed up at No. 2 doubles to beat the Cougars' Helen Jiao and Emma Jewell 6-4, setting the stage for the No. 1 doubles.
 
Unfortunately for Utah State, it lost its first doubles point of the season when Truman and Leah Heimuli defeated the Aggies' Sidnee Lavatai, a sophomore, and Hannah Jones, a senior, 7-5.
 
BYU led 3-0 after taking the doubles point and winning the first two singles matches. Ryan (1-6, 0-6) and Dekkers (3-6, 4-6) lost in straight sets at the Nos. 3 and 2 singles, respectively, before Octave won her match to make it 3-1.
 
The Cougars clinched it when Jones fell to BYU's Anastasia Abramyan in three sets (6-1, 3-6, 2-6) at No. 4 singles. At No. 5 singles, Millan lost in straight sets (3-6, 0-6).
 
Utah State is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 11 a.m., against Northern Arizona (0-2), which plays at BYU on Saturday.
 
Fans can follow USU's women's tennis team on Twitter @USUWomensTennis, on Facebook at /UtahStateWomensTennis or on Instagram at USUWomensTennis. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.
 
RESULTS
Doubles
1. CUSICK TRUMAN, Kate/HEIMULI, Leah (BYU) def. LAVATAI, Sidnee/JONES, Hannah (USU) 7-5
2. MILLAN, Carolina/LOMBERA, Renata (USU) def. JIAO, Helen/JEWELL, Emma (BYU) 6-4
3. ASTLE, Emilee/MALYKH, Polina (BYU) def. DEKKERS, Gabrielle/RYAN, Zara (USU) 6-2

Singles
1. OCTAVE, Lucy (USU) def. CUSICK TRUMAN, Kate (BYU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. HEIMULI, Leah (BYU) def. DEKKERS, Gabrielle (USU) 6-3, 6-4
3. ASTLE, Emilee (BYU) def. RYAN, Zara (USU) 6-1, 6-0
4. ABRAMYAN, Anastasia (BYU) def. JONES, Hannah (USU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. JIAO, Helen (BYU) def. MILLAN, Carolina (USU) def. 6-3, 6-0
6. COUNTY, Annaliese (USU) def. JEWELL, Emma (BYU) 6-2, 6-4

Match Notes
BYU 4-2
Utah State 3-1
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 2, 1; Singles – 3, 2, 1, 4, 5, 6
 
-USU-