(St. George - Jan. 17, 2026) – Utah Tech women's tennis dropped its season-opening doubleheader to BYU, 5-2 and 6-1, respectively, at Trailblazer Tennis Courts on Saturday. Two Trailblazers made their dual-season collegiate debuts, and UT won its first-ever doubles point in its all-time series with the Cougars. 

In the first match, Utah Tech (0-2, 0-0 WAC) won the doubles point when sophomores Maya Inouye and Nutsa Tsintsadze bested BYU's Bella Lewis and Sage Bergeson in the second doubles match. The Cougars (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) won a tightly contested match at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, but forfeited the third doubles matchup, giving UT the point.

Junior Mariana Zurita Berdecio came up just short in a hard-fought battle at No. 1 singles. BYU's Sue Yan Tan took the first set, 7-6, before Zurita Berdecio countered with a 6-4 second set. Yan Tan secured the point, 6-2, in the third set. 

Inouye also had a back-and-forth affair at No. 4 singles. Bergeson claimed the first set, 6-3, but Inouye pushed back in the second set, 6-4. Bergeson responded with a strong third set, 6-2, to win the point for BYU. 

The Trailblazers logged their second point with a Cougar forfeit at No. 6 singles, but Brigham Young would win the match with additional singles wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5. 

BYU got off to a solid start in the second match, securing the doubles point with wins in the first and second matchups, 6-3 and 6-2, respectively. 

Junior Ana Gutierrez Sampere put up a tough challenge in her faceoff with Yan Tan at No. 1 singles. The Cougar picked up the first set, 6-2, but Guiterrez Sampere forced a tiebreaker after a 6-3 come-from-behind win in set two. Yan Tan won the tiebreak 10-7. 

Freshmen Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega and Cameron Hendrix made their collegiate debuts at the No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Hendrix won a game in the first set before falling 6-1, 6-0. 

UT was awarded its lone point with a forfeit at No. 6 singles.

The Trailblazers return to action on Monday, Jan. 19, as they host Utah State (0-0, 0-0 MW) to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Doubles play begins at 11 a.m. at Trailblazer Tennis Courts in St. George.

Match 1 Results
BYU 5, Utah Tech 2
Jan. 17, 2026, at Trailblazer Tennis Courts (St. George, Utah)

Doubles Competition
Sue Yan Tan/Yu-Yun Chen (BYU) def. Ana Gutierrez Sampere/Mariana Zurita Berdecio (UT) 6-2
Maya Inouye/Nutsa Tsintsadze (UT) def. Bella Lewis/Sage Bergeson (BYU) 6-4
Olivia Bustos/Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega def. BYU by forfeit

Singles Competition
Sue Yan Tan (BYU) def. Mariana Zurita Berdecio (UT) 7-6, 6-4, 2-6
Yu-Yun Chen (BYU) def. Olivia Bustos (UT) 6-3, 6-2
Karina Mohamed (BYU) def. Ana Gutierrez Sampere (UT) 6-0, 6-0
Sage Bergeson (BYU) def. Maya Inouye (UT) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Bella Lewis (BYU) def. Nutsa Tsintsadze (UT) 6-4, 6-2
Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega (UT) def. BYU by forfeit

Match Notes:
Utah Tech (0-1, 0-0 WAC)
BYU (1-0, 0-0 Big 12)

Match 2 Results
BYU 6, Utah Tech 1
Jan. 17, 2026, at Trailblazer Tennis Courts (St. George, Utah)

Doubles Competition
Sue Yan Tan/Yu-Yun Chen (BYU) def. Maya Inouye/Nutsa Tsintsadze (UT) 6-3
Karina Mohamed/Bella Lewis (BYU) def. Olivia Bustos/Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega (UT) 6-2
Mariana Zurita Berdecio/Ana Gutierrez Sampere (UT) def. BYU by forfeit

Singles Competition
Sue Yan Tan (BYU)  def. Ana Gutierrez Sampere (UT) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Yu-Yun Chen (BYU) def. Ilse Fernanda Elechiguerra Ortega (UT) 6-2, 6-0
Karina Mohamed (BYU) def. Cameron Hendrix (UT) 6-1, 6-0
Sage Bergeson (BYU) def. Nicole Kells (UT) 6-2, 6-0
Bella Lewis (BYU) def. Raquel Roshak (UT) 6-2, 6-3
Maya Inouye (UT) def. BYU by forfeit

Match Notes:
Utah Tech (0-2, 0-0 WAC)
BYU (2-0, 0-0 Big 12)