Showdown of the Cougars of WSU and BYU in tennis 

The two teams will fight for bragging rights Saturday 

WSU+tennis+player+Elyse+Tse+hits+the+ball+during+an+NCAA+tennis+match+against+Gonzaga%2C+Jan+22.

HAILEE SPEIR

WSU tennis player Elyse Tse hits the ball during an NCAA tennis match against Gonzaga, Jan 22.

BRANDON WILLMAN, Multimedia editor

WSU tennis, coming off two straight losses in Virginia, is set to face off against the BYU Cougars Saturday on their home court. 

BYU (1-0, 0-0 West Coast) has only played one match thus far this year. That match was against Weber State and the Cougars won 7-0. The better Cougars, WSU, come in at 2-2 (0-0 Pac-12) and coming off losses to Virginia and Northwestern. 

Maxine Murphy was a bright spot in those losses, as the former Pac-12 player of the week beat a ranked opponent and won her doubles match against the Northwestern Wildcats.

As a whole, Wazzu is 13-6 all-time against BYU and most recently beat the school 6-1 in 2022. In that match, then No. 3 Murphy won 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, No. 4 Elyse Tse won 6-4, 7-6 (6) and No. 5 Fifa Kumhom won 6-2, 6-3. 

With experience against the school and some big wins from the returning WSU Cougars, the team will be favored to build upon this success and win again, this time on the road. 

In 2022 win was also coach Raquel Atawo’s first head coaching win, according to WSU Athletics. 

For Atawo, playing against the school that she got her first win against will be a fun tidbit but will have no real impact on the way the team plays against BYU. 

WSU will take on BYU at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Indoor Tennis Courts in Provo, Utah.