By Dean Boerner | Sports Editor
In a tightly-contested battle in the first round of the West Coast Conference Championships, sixth-seeded BYU outlasted the third-seeded Gaels 4-3, ending the Gaels season on Thursday at Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, Calif. With the upset, the Cougars exacted some revenge by eliminating a Gaels team that had defeated them 4-2 earlier in the same week.
Saint Mary’s began Thursday with impressive play in doubles action. Kareena Manji and Jana McCord teamed up to defeat BYU’s Kate Cusic and Taylah Beckman 6-2. Saint Mary’s dropped one doubles match when Savannah Ware and Natella Nabeiva defeated Emma Critser and Danielle McIntyre 6-4, but the Gaels team of sophomore Clementine Clement and freshman Jacqueline Pelletier came through with a 7-6 (2) over Samantha Smith and Demi Perkinson to give Saint Mary’s the doubles point.