Cougars Return Home to Face Eastern Washington and Saint Mary’s

THIS WEEK: The Washington State Tennis team (5-4 this season) begins a seven-match homestand this week, starting Friday (Feb. 24) against Eastern Washington beginning at Noon. There will be free Jimmy John sandwiches for fans in attendance. The Cougars will host Saint Mary’s Saturday (Feb. 25) at 11 a.m., with free coffee and donuts for fans. Both matches will be held at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. This weekend also marks the final nonconference matches for the Cougars, who open Pac-12 play at home March 3 against USC.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: Eastern Washington enters the week with a 2-2 record this season, coming off a 6-1 defeat to Portland last Sunday in Cheney. The Eagles have wins over Seattle and Whitman College to account for victories.  WSU owns a 40-2 all-time record against EWU.
 
SCOUTING SAINT MARY’S: The Gaels will bring a 2-3 record into Pullman this weekend, having dropped its last match 7-0 at Stanford. SMC’s two wins this year have come against Nevada and Sacramento State. WSU holds a 2-0 advantage all-time in the series, including a 5-1 victory in Moraga (2016) in the most record meeting.
 
LAST WEEK: WSU split it’s two-match swing into Nebraska, falling 5-2 to host Nebraska and defeating Minnesota 4-3 in a neutral site match.
 
NEXT UP: Washington State begins Pac-12 play next Friday, March 3, when it hosts No. 24 USC in Hollingbery Fieldhouse.
 
NET NOTES:

• Sophomore Maxine Murphy leads the team with 14 singles victories this season and brings a three-match winning streak into the weekend.
• Freshman Eva Alvarez Sande leads the team with 14 doubles wins on the season.

 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: For the 2022-23 season the Cougars will have three new players to accompany the six returners. The returning roster consists of fifth-year senior Yang Lee, junior Fifa Kumhom and sophomores Hania Abouelsaad, Stefaniia Mikhailova, Maxine Murphy and Elyse Tse. Joining the Cougar tennis program this year are freshmen Eva Alvarez Sande, Yura Nakagawa and Tiffany Phout.
 
COACH RAQUEL ATAWO: Raquel Atawo is in her second season as head coach of the Cougars after being named to the position July 2, 2021. In Atawo’s first year leading Washington State Tennis, the Cougars showed great improvement throughout the season, finishing with a, 8-15 record, but posted back-to-back wins late in the season…