After an undefeated start to the year, WSU tennis has now faced its first big trial of the 2024 season: five matches in a row away from their home court. While this is a challenge, the Cougs have shown determination with their 2-0 start as they are looking for more.

To start their road trip, the Cougs traveled Friday to the Boas Indoor Tennis Center in Boise, Idaho, to play the Idaho State Bengals. The Bengals entered this match with a 1-2 record following back-to-back losses to Boise State University and the University of Utah.

The matchup began with the Cougs dominating doubles. The first match to finish came from the middle court as WSU’s Yura Nakagawa and Fifa Kumhom breezed by Idaho State’s Asem Shoybek and Stefanya Shalakhova in a 6-2 victory. 

Needing a win in just one more of their last two doubles matches to secure the doubles point, WSU didn’t have to wait for long as Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse secured a 6-3 Cougar victory over Idaho State siblings Lola O’Lindeadha and Sol O’Lindeadha. This win secured the doubles point for the Cougs and improved Alvarez Sande and Tse to 3-0 in doubles on the year.

With the doubles point going to WSU, there was still a final doubles match being played and it was jam-packed with action. WSU partners Hania Abouelsaad and Martina Markov needed a tiebreaker to beat the Bengal duo of Hana Cho and Sydney Morris. The Cougar teammates pulled through, winning 7-6 as WSU swept the Bengals in the round of doubles.

Up 1-0 and heading into singles matches, the Cougars didn’t stop their reign of terror over Idaho State as WSU won their first three singles matches. Abouelsaad started it all, defeating opponent Olivea Mikkelson 6-1, 6-2. Next, Alvarez Sande won her singles match 6-3, 6-3 against Cho with Tse finishing third in a 6-2, 7-5 victory against Lola. These three singles victories put WSU up 4-0 against Idaho State giving the Cougs another team victory. 

With three singles matches remaining, WSU would lose their next two. Bengals Sol defeated Kumhom in a close match which concluded 6-3, 3-6, 1-0. The next Coug loss came in the form of another close match with Markov losing to Idaho State’s Megan Lang-Gold 2-6, 7-6, 1-0. 

Following these two singles losses, the Cougs would bounce back and win their final match of the day. Nakagawa displayed an impressive comeback, defeating Shoybek 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Nakagawa’s comeback win ensured a 5-2 Cougar victory against the Bengals with WSU moving to 3-0 on the year. The Cougs are eye-opening with how they have been dominating teams. They are proving it this season, and they will continue to give everything they have in their next match against Boise State University.