I can’t believe it’s already the end of the regular season!
Good afternoon, Coug fans!
I can’t believe I’m typing this, but the regular season for your Washington State Cougars Tennis team is coming to a close tomorrow, Saturday April 22nd. I already miss it. The match begins at noon Pacific Time!
Unfortunately, the season hasn’t gone exactly as we hoped. The Cougs are currently 7-13, 0-9 Pac-12 play.
Even more unfortunate? They’re playing University of Washington (boo) – and the Huskies currently sit with a 15-7 record, 4-2 in Pac-12 play.
Some key players to keep an eye on at Washington are Senior Hikaru Sato, who ranks nationally at No. 107. She is a familiar face, having transferred from WSU before the 2021-2022 season. She’s been ranked at No. 97 in singles this season, and has also scraped the rankings in doubles with both Zehra Suko and Erika Matsuda- the Sato/Matsuda combo ranks No. 65.
However! They aren’t the only doubles pair who makes splashes. Cougs Eva Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse peaked at No. 38 this season, and settled at No. 50 after having 9-2 record this year. They also took down Arizona State last month, who currently ranks 11th in the nation!
Additionally, last season, Washington State swept both matchups- and as we know, Apple Cups can be unpredictable. I have been a vocal tennis fan for a long time (my maternal grandfather was a huge tennis guy), and regardless of outcome, it’s always been such a blast to follow this team along their journey! I would, however, love to beat the Huskies.
A win tomorrow would be an excellent foot to start on for the Tennis Pac-12 Tournament, which takes place next Wednesday, April 26th through April 28th! So keep your eyes peeled for that.
Go Cougs!