SPOKANE, Wash. (Jan 19, 2025) -- Washington State Tennis captured five of six singles matches en route to a 6-1 victory over Michigan State in a neutral site match Sunday morning at the Stevens Center on the Gonzaga campus.
 
With the win, the Cougars improve to 4-0 on the season while the Spartans fall to 0-2.
 
The match began with doubles and the Cougars wasted no time jumping on top as Elyse Tse and Chisato Kanemaki rode a break of serve to 6-3 win over Matilde Morais and Hanna Tsitavets at No. 3. WSU clinched the opening point when Hania Abouelsaad and Martina Markov completed a 6-4 win over Issey Purser Oriana Parkins-Godwin at No. 3. The match at No. 1 between WSU's Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy against Liisa Vehvilainen and Ellis Blackford was stopped once the doubles point was clinched. The Michigan State duo was leading 5-3 when play was stopped.
 
Abouelsaad quickly increased WSU's lead to 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Purser at No. 4 while Martina Puvill picked up her fourth win in a row with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Amara Brahmbhatt at No. 5. Murphy rode a break of serve each set to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Blackford at No. 2 just before Markov held on for a 6-3, 7-6 (0) win over Tsitavets at No. 6.
 
Alvarez Sande needed three sets at No. 1 before posting a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8) win over Vehvilainen. In the final match of the day,
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 6 def. Michigan State 1
January 19, 2025
Stevens Center
Spokane, Wash.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande/Maxine Murphy (WSU) vs. Liisa Vehvilainen/ Ellie Blackford (MSU) 3-5 DNF
No. 2 Elyse Tse/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Matilde Morais/ Hanna Tsitavets (MSU) 6-3
No. 3 Hania Abouelsaad/Martina Markov (WSU) def. Issey Purser/Oriana Parkins-Godwin (MSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2,3
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Liisa Vehvilainen (MSU) 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Ellie Blackford (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 Matilde Morais (MSU) def. Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9)
No. 4 #123 Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) def. Issey Purser (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 Martina Puvill (WSU) def. Amara Brahmbhatt (MSU) 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 Martina Markov (WSU) def. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU) 6-3, 7-6 (0)
Order of Finish: 4,5,2,6,1,3