LOS ANGELES --  Senior Fifa Kumhom and sophomore Yura Nakagawa each posted singles victories but it was not enough as No. 11 USC defeated Washington State 5-2 Saturday afternoon at Marks Stadium. With the loss, the Cougars fall to 8-4 on the season, 0-2 in Pac-12 play. The Trojans improved to 9-4, 2-0.
 
Kumhom picked up WSU's first point of the day as she needed a tiebreaker before prevailing 7-6 against Naomi Cheong at No. 4 singles, who then medically retired from the match. Nakagawa, at No. 3, earned the win after two hard-fought sets, defeated Grace Piper 7-6 (4), 6-4 for WSU's second point. Piper, who entered the match ranked 51st nationally, is the highest-ranked opponent Nakagawa has defeated in her Cougar career.
 
Doubles play was tight throughout the matches, with all three separated by just one break of serve. The Cougars No. 1 team of Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Lily Fairclough and McKenna Koenig, then completed a service break to close out a 6-4 win. At No. 2, USC's Piper and Parker Fry, ranked 36 nationally, held on to an early lead in defeating Nakagawa and Kumhom, 6-4. The deciding match came down to No. 3, where WSU's Hania Abouelsaad and Martina Markov battled throughout before falling 6-4 to Snow Han and Cheong, giving USC the opening point.
 
In singles action, USC quickly increased its lead to 2-0 as Koenig completed a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Abouelsaad at No. 5. In the five remaining matches, the Cougars captured the first set in three of those. Kumhom and Nakagawa prevailed in those matches while Alvarez Sande, who captured the first set 6-2 against No. 88 Han at No. 1 singles, went to a third set in her match. After going back-and-fourth in the 10-point tiebreaker, Snow captured the final six points to win 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7), to close out the day.
 
The Trojans clinched the match with wins at No. 2 and 6 within minutes of each other as Emma Charney, ranked 31st nationally, defeated Tse, while Sloane Morra defeated Markov 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6.
 
The Cougars return home Friday to host Utah in a Noon match from Hollingbery Fieldhouse.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 11 USC 5 def. Washington State 2
March 9, 2024
Marks Stadium
Los Angeles, Calif.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande/Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Lily Fairclough/McKenna Koenig (USC) 6-4
No. 2 #36 Grace Piper/Parker Fry (USC) def. Yura Nakagawa/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-4
No. 3 Snow Han/Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Hania Abouelsaad/Martina Markov (WSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,2,3
 
SINGLES
No. 1 #88 Snow Han (USC) def. Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7)
No. 2 #31 Emma Charney (USC) def. Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. #51 Grace Piper (USC 7-5, 6-4
No. 4 Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Naomi Cheong (USC) 7-6 (4), ret.
No. 5 McKenna Koenig (USC) def. Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 6 Sloane Morra (USC) def. Martina Markov (WSU) 6-3, 6-3
Order of Finish:  5,4,2,6,3,1