Broncos Fall in Cougar Classic Finals

Friday, September 24

Pullman, Wash.

All Day

Boise State

WSU Cougar Classic

9/27/2021 2:19:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Final Draws (pdf)

Boise State had Bhakti Shah compete for a singles title, while Stewart and Discenza played for a doubles championship.

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

PULLMAN, Wash. - Boise State women's tennis saw three Broncos compete for titles Sunday afternoon at the Cougar Classic in Pullman, Wash. Freshman Bhakti Shah played for the Gray Flight's singles championship while Holly Stewart and Nicole Discenza competed for the Crimson Flight's doubles title.

"Overall, I thought we got some great things out of the Cougar Classic with the players we took up to Pullman," said head coach Beck Roghaar. "We saw some really good things from our freshman Bhakti Shah battling through to the final and putting herself in some good positions to win. She just needs a bit more experience to close the door, and there's only one way to get that and she's doing the right things. We had some really solid matches up there but lacked a little consistency in our performance, which we will be working on heading into the Barb Chandler Classic this week. It's going to be great to be at home competing again in front of Bronco Nation and honoring the legacy and impact of such a pioneer in the sport of women's tennis."

Shah reached the flight championship match by recording three straight victories starting with a win in the round of 16 where she won in three sets over Idaho's Katherine Jhang 6-0, 1-6, 1-0(10-7). In the quarterfinals she dispatched Eastern Washington's Yasmin Mansouri 7-6, 6-0, then followed with a second straight-set victory over Lisa Kung from Utah State in the semifinals. On Sunday morning, Shah faced Washington State's Fifa Kumhom for the title coming up short in a tightly contested match 7-5, 7-6(2).

Stewart and Discenza won their quarterfinal and semifinal doubles matches on Friday to advance to Sunday's championship match. They took on Idaho's duo of Jhang and Ines Oliveira for the title only to be edged out by the Vandal tandem by an 8-6 score. They defeated Portland State's Capucine Sanoner and Makoto Ohara 8-4 in the quarterfinals, then followed with an 8-5 victory over Kung and Gabi Dekkers from Utah State.

Discenza ended the Classic with a 1-1 singles mark in the Crimson Flight — top flight — winning her round of 16 match 6-2, 6-4 over Jacinta Milenkoski of Portland State.

Meanwhile, Stewart reached the Crimson Flight singles semifinals with victories over Dekkers of Utah State 6-3, 6-0 in the round of 16 and Grace Haugen from Montana 6-1, 7-5 in the quarterfinals. Stewart faced Seattle's Elena Kraleva during the semifinal round where she was edged out in a tough 13-11 pro-set tiebreaker in the third frame.

Ana Conde Venrdrell competed in the Gray singles flight where she went 1-1 beating EWU's Isabella Foshee in straight sets 7-5, 6-3, before falling to Washington State's Fifa Kumhom in the semifinals.

Shauna Heffernan also went 1-1 while competing in the Red singles flight. She lost her opening match in a tight 7-5, 6-4 contest to Portland State's Majo Hernandez. She then won her consolation match 6-2, 6-1 over EWU's Kenzington Mann.

Boise State will be back in action this coming weekend when the Broncos host the annual Barb Chandler Classic at the Appleton Tennis Center Oct. 1-3.

Boise State Results
Crimson Singles Main Draw (Top Flight)
Friday, Sept. 24