USU takes 6-1 loss to No. 69 Denver

Utah State women’s tennis lost to No. 69 Denver University 6-1 on Sunday.

“There were really good moments of things that we’ve done better than any other time this season,” said USU head coach Sean McInerney. “Obviously we’re not there yet, we’re going to keep on working, slowly but surely we’ll get up to that level.”

The match started off with doubles, where junior Nini Guensler and junior Ekaterina Tugarinova lost 6-2 against the No. 44-ranked duo of Julia O’Loughlin and Maureen Slattery. Denver then clinched the doubles point when Evy Van Genechten and Charlotte Derbyshire beat USU’s Lexi Turley and Sabrina Demerath 6-3.

Sophomores Meghan Lyall and Maggie O’Meara did not finish their doubles match.

Singles matches began with a straight-set, 6-0, 6-3 win by Bianca Mok over freshman Monika Van De Vondel. Then Denver’s O’Loughlin, the No. 62 singles player, beat USU’s Guensler 6-3, 6-3. Tugarinova lost 6-3, 7-5 to Slattery which clinched the match and put the Pioneers up 4-0.

Sophomore Meghan Lyall lost a tough three-set match 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 to Derbyshire after a comeback in the second set.

Demerath won over Genechten at the No. 5 singles spot straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to put the Aggies in the win column.

“It felt really good,” Demerath said. “I know she was really good, we saw her play at ITA’s, so I knew that if I did what I’ve been working on, I’d come out with a win.”

The singles matches concluded when Denver’s freshman Morgan Barnhill outlasted Aggie freshman Jenna Kane 4-6, 6-1, 10-2, and closed out the 6-1 win for the Pioneers.

USU’s next match is at No. 51 Utah in Salt Lake City at 5 p.m. on Thursday.

“We’re excited,” McInerney said. “We want opportunities to play good teams and Utah is another great opportunity to improve our program.”

— joebaraiolo@gmail.com

Twitter: @joefish_2