BYU women’s tennis defeated Cincinnati 4–3 on March 12 in the team’s first outdoor match of the season at the Outdoor Tennis Courts in Provo.
The victory is significant as it marks a strong start to BYU’s outdoor campaign and improves their season record to 12–4. The Cougars overcame an early deficit after Cincinnati claimed the doubles point, with BYU’s only doubles win coming from Sue Yan Tan and Lewis on court three.
In singles play, Gracie Levelston won at No. 1 singles with a score of 6–1, 6–3, while YuYun Chen delivered a dominant performance on court four, winning 6–0, 6–4. Sage Bergeson added another point for BYU at No. 5 singles with a 6–3, 6–2 victory. Despite two close losses by Kendall Kovick and Tan in their respective matches, the final outcome was decided by Lewis on court six. After losing the first set, Lewis rallied to win the next two sets and clinched the match for BYU.
Head coach Holly Hasler credited her team’s determination following the match. “Today was all about grit,” Hasler said. “We didn’t play our cleanest tennis, but the team stayed tough and kept fighting for every point. Cincinnati made us earn every point we played, and I’m proud of how our players responded in the tight moments to pull out a 4–3 win.”
With this result, BYU continues its season with momentum as they prepare to host West Virginia on Saturday, March 14 at home.
