SAN FRANCISCO – Despite a valiant effort and battle to tie the match at 2 apiece, the San Francisco women's tennis team closed out the year with a 4-2 loss to BYU on Saturday afternoon at The Olympic Club.

"We put it all out there, but couldn't play well enough for the win," reflected USF head coach Hilary Somers. "Emily played great at No. 3, and she competed well the entire match. Gen seemed so nervous today on Senior Day and had a tough time playing her best."
  USF got it points on the day from singles matches at No. 3 and No. 6, and the Dons were in the heat of battle on Court 5 when the Cougars clinched the match to halt play.

USF's first score came from the racquet of Margarita Treyes, a sophomore from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Playing at No. 6, she downed Demi Perkinson, 6-1, 6-3, in the second singles match to finish. Dons freshman Emily Maxfield was next to strike, earning a straight-set win over Kate Cusik to knot the match score at two apiece.

However, BYU's top two slots in the lineup secured victories to finish off the match and send the Dons away with the 4-2 defeat on Senior Day for Genevieve McCloskey, USF's lone senior.

With the loss, the Dons finish the year at 5-16 (2-7 WCC), missing a bid to the West Coast Conference Championship field. Despite the challenging season, head coach Hilary Somers knows that the experiences the team faced during the 2017 season will only make for a more resilient squad in the future.

"We learned a lot this season with such a young group and a few major injuries with top players," she said. "A lot of players had to step outside their comfort zone many times this season playing higher than normal. That is a great learning experience and will make them tougher going forward."
 
BYU 4, USF 2
Saturday, April 22 | San Francisco (The Olympic Club)

Singles competition – Order of finish (4, 6, 3, 2, 1)
1. Savannah Ware-Avina (BYU) def. Genevieve McCloskey (USF); 6-4, 6-4
2. Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. Anna Sokiran (USF); 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
3. Emily Maxfield (USF) def. Kate Cusick (BYU); 6-4, 6-1
4. Samantha Smith (BYU) def. Shanna Dos Santos (USF); 6-1, 6-1
5. Hanna Borjeson (USF) vs. Taylah Beckman (BYU); 7-6 (7-4), 4-4, unfinished
6. Margarita Treyes (USF) def. Demi Perkinson (BYU); 6-1, 6-3

Doubles competition – Order of finish (2, 1)
1. Savannah Ware-Avina/Natella Nabieva (BYU) def. Genevieve McCloskey/Emily Maxfield (USF); 6-1
2. Kate Cusick/Taylah Beckman (BYU) def. Shanna Dos Santos/Anna Sokiran (USF); 6-1
3. Margarita Treyes/Hanna Borjeson (USF) vs. Samantha Smith/Demi Perkinson (BYU); 4-4, unfinished