Utah Tech battled Mother Nature and a tough Sam Houston side, but came up just short in a 4-1 WAC dual loss late Wednesday night at the SHSU Kelly & Ina May McAdams Tennis Center.
 
The dual match was delayed for most of the day due to heavy rains and lightning, and when the match did get underway, it was played under clinch rules.
 
The Trailblazers (2-15/0-6 WAC) picked up their lone point in doubles play as the No. 1 duo of Rachel Mellor and Annemiek Sterk defeated SHSU's Paula Cerda and Sahithi Vutukuru 6-2. Meanwhile, the No. 2 doubles tandem of Ya-Chi Hsu and Adithi Venkatakrishnan posted a 6-4 win over SHSU's Vianne Schwab and Linn Svaerd. 
 
Sam Houston (5-10/2-4 WAC) claimed the top-three singles matches in straight sets, then clinched the dual win when Schwab outlasted Sterk at No. 4 singles, 2-6, 6-0, 6-0. UT No. 5 singles player Alysha Damron was leading her match 6-4, 4-4, as did No. 6 singles player Raquel Roshak, 6-3, 2-4, when the dual was decided. 
 
Utah Tech will travel to Nacogdoches for its final road match of the 2022-23 regular season at Stephen F. Austin on Saturday morning beginning at 9 a.m. (CT). 
 
Sam Houston 4, Utah Tech 1
The Woodlands, Texas (Kelly & Ina May McAdams Tennis Center); April 6, 2023
Singles competition 
1. Paula Cerda (SHSU) def. Ya-Chi Hsu (UTU) 6-1, 6-1
2. Anastasia Khokhlova (SHSU) def. Rachel Mellor (UTU) 6-3, 6-3
3. Sahithi Vutukuru (SHSU) def. Adithi Venkatakrishnan (UTU) 6-3, 6-1
4. Vianne Schwab (SHSU) def. Annemiek Sterk (UTU) 2-6, 6-0, 6-0
5. Linn Svaerd (SHSU) vs. Alysha Damron (UTU) 4-6, 4-2, unfinished
6. McKenzy Byfield (SHSU) vs. Raquel Roshak (UTU) 2-6, 4-3, unfinished

Doubles competition 
1. Annemiek Sterk/Rachel Mellor (UTU) def. Paula Cerda/Sahithi Vutukuru (SHSU) 6-2
2. Ya-Chi Hsu/Adithi Venkatakrishnan (UTU) def. Vianne Schwab/Linn Svaerd (SHSU) 6-4
3. Alysha Damron/Jane Dorny (UTU) vs. Anastasia Khokhlova/McKenzy Byfield (SHSU) 5-3, unfinished