PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State senior Emily Funabiki fought off six match points before winning 8-7 to lift the Cougars to a 7-0 victory over Lewis-Clark State. Earlier in the day WSU defeated Eastern Washington 6-1 at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. With the wins the Cougars improve to 15-3 on the season.
With the team match against Lewis-Clark State already decided, Funabiki and Netty Dayhuff were playing an eight-game pro set. As the match went to a tiebreaker, Funabiki fell behind 6-2 and faced four-straight match points. She then trailed 7-6 and 8-7 before reeling off the final three points of the match for the victory. It marked her first singles win of the season.
WSU raced to a quick 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. At No. 3 Olga Musilovich and Funabiki defeated Rinzin Lham and Rye Hewett, 8-0, while Elizaveta Luzina and Lize Leenknecht posted an identical score in the win over Florencia Martina and Lauren Lang. The No. 2 match was stopped with Maria Biryukova and Dajana Ognjenovic leading Bryn Oliveira and Deanri Human, 7-2.
Biryukova increased the WSU lead to 2-0 as she defeated Human 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3. Leenknecht defeated Martina 6-0, 6-3 at No. 2 while Musilovich clinched the win with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Oliveira at No. 4. Luzina made it 5-0 with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Hewett at No. 1, increasing her season record to a team-best 25-6.
At No. 5 Ognjenovic posted an 8-0 win over Lang, giving her 20 wins overall wins, the fourth Cougar to reach that mark this season, before Funabiki pulled out some late-match heroics.
Against Eastern Washington, the Cougars came out strong in doubles, taking the first two matches to secure the opening point. Biryukova and Musilovich cruised to an 8-0 victory over Dani Young and Katrina Domingo at No. 2. Charlotte Koning and Ognjenovic then sealed the doubles point with an 8-4 win over Brittany Ellingsen and Malieva Hedberg at No. 3. With the point already won, the No. 1 match between WSU's Luzina and Leenknecht and EWU's Moira Hedberg and Erin Blessing was stopped with the Cougars leading 6-2.
The Cougars pulled away in singles, capturing each of the first four matches in straight sets. Musilovich was first off following a 6-0-, 6-1 win at No. 4 over Domingo. Biryukova quickly followed with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Blessing at No. 3, giving WSU a 3-0 lead.
Luzina clinched the team victory as she defeated Moira Hedberg 6-3, 6-1 at No. 1, while Leenknecht finished off Young with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2.
With the team outcome decided, No. 5 and No. 6 singles played an eight-game pro set. Ognjenovic had little trouble with Ellingsen, winning 8-1at No. 5. Eastern Washington earned its only point when Malieva Hedberg won the final six games to defeat Emily Funabiki, 8-4, at No. 6.
The Cougars will take this weekend off and next be in action March 21 when they travel to Tucson to face No. 33 Arizona. Match time is set for 1:30 p.m.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 47 Washington State 6 def. Eastern Washington 1
March 11, 2014
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) vs. Moira Hedberg/Erin Blessing (EWU) 6-2 DNF
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Olga Musilovich, (WSU) def. Dani Young/Katrina Domingo (EWU) 8-0
No. 3 Charlotte Koning/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Brittany Ellingsen/Malieva Hedberg (EWU) 8-4
Order of Finish: 2,3
SINGLES
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Moira Hedberg (EWU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Dani Young (EWU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Erin Blessing (EWU) 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Katrina Domingo (EWU) 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Brittany Ellingsen (EWU) 8-1
No. 6 Malieva Hedberg (EWU) def. Emily Funabiki (WSU) 8-4.
Order of Finish: 4,3,1,2,5,6
No. 47 Washington State 7 def. Lewis-Clark State 0
March 11, 2014
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1Elizaveta Luzina/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) vs. Florencia Martina/Lauren Lang (LCSC) 8-0
No. 2 Maria Biryukova/Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) vs. Bryn Oliveira/Deanri Human (LCSC) 7-2 DNF
No. 3 Olga Musilovich/Emily Funabiki (WSU) def. Rinzin Lham/Rye Hewett (LCSC) 8-0
Order of Finish: 3,1
SINGLES
No. 1 Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) def. Rye Hewett (LCSC) 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Florencia Martina (LCSC) 6-0, 6-3
No. 3 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Deanri Human (LCSC) 6-1, 6-0
No. 4 Olga Musilovich (WSU) def. Bryn Oliveira (LCSC) 6-0, 6-0
No. 5 Dajana Ognjenovic (WSU) def. Lauren Lang (LCSC) 8-0
No. 6 Emily Funabiki (WSU) def. Netti Dayhuff (LCSC) 8-7 (10-8)
Order of Finish: 3,2,1,4,5,6
