SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 6, 2026) – After racing to a 3-1 lead against Sacramento State, Washington State tennis could not close out the win as the Hornets captured the final three matches in a 4-3 victory Friday at the Sacramento State Tennis Complex.
 
The Cougars captured the opening doubles point with wins on the first two courts. At No. 2, WSU's Eva Alvarez Sande and Yura Nakagawa had little trouble in posting a 6-2 victory over Catherine Walker and Palina Saulevich. At No. 3, the Hornet duo of Emilija Pranyte and Lou Baudouin cruised to a 6-1 win over Martina Puvill and Ava-Monet Sycamore, pushing the deciding match to No. 1 doubles. There, WSU's Maxine Murphy and Chisato Kanemaki came away with a 7-5 win over Sacramento State's Irene Riva and Camila Maldonado Gutierrez, giving the opening point to Washing State.
 
In singles action, the Hornets tied the match at 1-1 as Walker completed a 6-2, 6-3 win over Murphy on Court 1. Alvarez Sande gave the Cougars the lead back as she played a close first set before pulling away in the second for a 7-5, 6-0 victory at No. 2.
 
WSU's lead grew to 3-1 when Puvill came away with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Pranyte at No. 4, bringing WSU to within one win for the team victory. But it was Sacramento State that pulled out three close matches for the 4-3 victory.
 
At No. 5, Maldonado Gutierrez escaped with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Kanemaki to get one back, while Baulouin fought back from a break down in the third set to defeat Nakagawa, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to even the score at 3-3. In the deciding match, Sycamore raced to a 6-1 first set but could not close it out at Saulevich rallied for a 1-6, 7-6, 6-1 win at No. 6, giving the Hornets the victory.
 
The Cougars continue their Northern California road swing Saturday morning at 11 a.m. when they face UC Davis in Davis, Calif.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Sacramento State 4 def. Washington State 3
February 6, 2026
Sacramento State Tennis Complex
Sacramento, Calif.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Maxine Murphy/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Irene Riva/Camila Maldonado Gutierrez (Sac) 7-5
No. 2 Eva Alvarez Sande/Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Catherine Walker/Palina Saulevich (Sac) 6-2
No. 3 Emilija Pranyte/Lou Baudouin (Sac) def. Martina Puvill/Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) 6-1
Order of Finish: 2,3,1
 
SINGLES
No.1 Catherine Walker (Sac) def. Maxine Murphy (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Irene Riva (Sac) 7-5, 6-0
No. 3 Lou Baudouin (Sac) def. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
No. 4 Martina Puvill (WSU) def. Emilija Pranyte (Sac) 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Camila Maldonado Gutierrez (Sac) def. Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) 7-5, 6-4
No. 6 Palina Saulevich (Sac) def. Ava-Monet Sycamore (WSU) 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1
Order of Finish: 1,2,4,5,3,6