Davis, West win BSU tennis tournament
Aggie sophomore McKenzie Davis was named Western Athletic Conference women’s tennis player of the month after taking home her first career collegiate titles in singles and doubles Sunday at the Jack Taylor Classic in Boise, Idaho.
“It was crazy,” Davis said. “I was really excited going into it. It was definitely a big goal and it felt great.”
Davis defeated host Boise State’s Marlena Pietzuch in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) in the Blue Flight singles championship match. Davis said revenge was sweet after losing in the finals of last week’s BYU Invitational.
“I definitely wanted to end this one with a win because I didn’t at BYU,” she said. “That gave me extra motivation going into it.”
Utah State head coach Christian Wright said he thought Davis looked very confident in her play.
“I’m just really proud of how she stepped up,” Wright said. “From previous tournaments, coming up short, she was a little more composed on the big points. I just thought she did a great job.”
Davis teamed with senior Jaci West to take home the Blue Flight doubles championship as well, making quick work of Pietzuch and Sandy Vo (8-3). It was the duo’s first tournament win.
“It still hasn’t sunk in,” West said. “She’s a great doubles player. Her ability to play well at the net and on her groundstrokes and her serve makes me want to play better as well.”
Davis and West have yet to lose a match together this year and look to continue on a successful spring campaign where they were named second team all-WAC last year.
“McKenzie winning the singles and her and Jaci winning the doubles really topped everything off,” Wright said.
The WAC announced late Monday afternoon that Davis had won player of the month after she had posted her 7-1 record. Her lone loss came in the finals at the BYU Invitational.
Davis said she is now looking to continue her success at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regionals Tournament next week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Wright said all Aggie women will be in action starting Oct. 10 at the tournament where they will play individually. It will be their final fall tournament before team conference play begins in January.
Wright said Davis’s wins bode well for his team in practice.
“It’s got to give the others some confidence,” he said. “They practice with her and can sometimes take some games off of her.”
– m.hop@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter:@legendarymhops