Box Score VANCOUVER, Wash. – The No. 71 Portland women's tennis team pushed No. 50 Utah to the final point before dropping a 4-3 decision on Friday at the Vancouver Tennis Center. The Pilots had their program-best seven-match win streak snapped and fall to 8-3 overall, while the Utes improve to 10-5.

Portland continued its dominance in doubles play this spring by claiming 6-4 wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. Utah won 6-0 at No. 3, but then Rimona Rouf and Alekasandra Dimitrijevic evened the score and improved to 8-1 at No. 2 doubles during dual matches. Iva Zelic and Sally Pethybridge secured the point at the No. 1 spot and improved to 21-6 overall and 9-1 in dual play.

Utah won in straight sets at No. 5 singles and then Pilot freshman Alaia Rubio Perez recorded a 6-4, 7-5 win against Samantha Horwood at No. 6. It was Rubio Perez's eighth consecutive singles win and she is 19-4 overall this season.

The four remaining singles matches all went three sets. Utah went up on Kaila Barksdale 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Rouf at No. 3 and then took a 3-2 lead when Madison Tattini held off Pethybridge in a third set tiebreaker.

Zelic made a huge comeback at No. 1 singles as she was down a set and trailing 3-0 in the second to Katya Townsend, but came back to win 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 to make it a 3-3 score. She has now won seven straight dual singles matches.

Utah clinched the match when Anastasia Goncharova outlasted Dimitrijevic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.

The Pilots will now prepare for West Coast Conference play and visit the BYU Cougars on Saturday, March 25 at 11 a.m. Visit PortlandPilots.com for live coverage links.

#50 Utah 4, #71 Portland 3
Vancouver, Wash. (Vancouver Tennis Center)
March 17, 2023

Singles
1. Iva Zelic (POR) def. Katya Townsend (UTAH) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
2. Madison Tattini (UTAH) def. Sally Pethybridge (POR) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5)
3. Kaila Barksdale (UTAH) def. Rimona Rouf (POR) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2
4. Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) def. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic (POR) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Marcela Lopez (UTAH) def. Meagan Pearson (POR) 7-5, 6-2
6. Alaia Rubio Perez (POR) def. Samantha Horwood (UTAH) 6-4, 7-5

Doubles
1. Zelic/Pethybridge (POR) def. Goncharova/Tattini (UTAH) 6-4
2. Rouf/Dimitrijevic (POR) def. Horwood/Townsend (UTAH) 6-4
3. Barksdale/Lopez (UTAH) def. Pearson/Rubio Perez (POR) 6-0

Match Notes:
Utah 10-5; National ranking #50
Portland 8-3; National ranking #71
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,6,3,2,1,4)