After an impressive Saturday sweep against Eastern Washington University, the Cougs returned to action Sunday at Hollingbery Fieldhouse for their match against the Idaho Vandals. The Cougs, looking to start their 2024 campaign 2-0, went into this match looking to spoil the Vandals’ season opener in the battle for the Palouse. WSU beat Idaho 5-2 to start the year 2-0
The day began with some doubles action as the Cougars looked to secure their second straight doubles point in back-to-back days which would help them control the matchup. With a strong start from Cougar partners Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse, the duo started their match with a 5-0 lead against UI’s Annabel Davis and Ida Johansson. Eventually winning the match 6-2, WSU only needed one more doubles victory with two matches remaining.
The second match to finish was between Hania Abouelsaad and Martina Markov representing WSU and Lena Beckx and Rachelle Starreveld representing UI. In a match that went back and forth, Beckx and Starreveld closed out the Cougs winning 7-5. This victory tied the doubles score 1-1, forcing the deciding match to be between WSU’s Yura Nakagawa and Fifa Kumhom and UI’s Valentina Rodas and Naomi Schraeder.
The tiebreaker match which concluded the round of doubles lived up to its hype. Down 5-2, Idaho’s Rodas and Shraeder rallied, coming all the way back and tying the match 5-5 before eventually winning 7-6, stealing the doubles point from WSU.
Heading into singles down 1-0, the Cougs still came out motivated to win. Alvarez Sande tied the score 1-1 right away with her impressive 6-2, 6-2 win against Davis.
Right after this, Nakagawa and Kumhom, both looking for revenge after UI’s impressive doubles comeback win against them, won their singles matches. Nakagawa winning 6-4, 6-3 against Rodas and Kumhom winning 6-3, 6-2 against Selin Sepkin to give the Cougs a 3-1 lead on the day.
Needing one more win to secure the victory and send our neighbors home, Tse was the perfect Coug to do it. Defeating Diana Khaydarshina 6-3, 6-4, Tse gave WSU a 4-1 lead, securing a 2-0 start to the year with two more matches left on the day.
The fifth singles match of the day was between Markov and Johansson. After an unbelievable start, Markov defeated Johansson 6-0, 7-6 putting WSU up 5-1. The day did end with a Vandal victory as Schraeder defeated Abouelsaad 6-3, 5-7, 1-0. The final score was 5-2 Cougs, giving UI their first loss of the season.
The next time the Cougs will play in Pullman will be Feb. 24 as WSU will play their next five matches on the road. They will face Idaho State University, Friday in Boise, Idaho.
