Salt Lake City-- University of Utah women's tennis clinched the win over the Houston Cougars, 7-0. Houston only played five players, forfeiting No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

The Utes secured the doubles point after the forfeit in No. 3 doubles and Alexia Petrovic and Luisa Gerstner Da Rosa pulled off a 6-1 win in No. 2 doubles over Ana Glumac and Christina Rovira. Margo Pletcher and Brianna Turley were off to a slow start trailing 2-0 in No. 1 doubles, but the duo made a push for the comeback. They led the match 5-4, when the Utes clinched the doubles point.
 
The Utes also picked up multiple singles wins on the day. Pletcher and Turley each added dominant two-set wins. Pletcher pulled out to a 4-0 lead before Sveva Mazzari was able to get on the board, 4-1. Pletcher clinched the set on a serving error from her opponent, 6-1. She continued to carry the momentum pulling ahead for a 6-1, 6-2 victory while Turley defeated Christina Rovira, 6-2, 6-0.

Jena Cheng and Alexia Petrovic each pulled off wins with hard-fought 10-point tie breakers. Cheng defeated Constanden Niccolaou, 4-6, 6-0, 12-10 while Petrovic defeated Lauren Alter 5-7, 6-3, 10-5.

"This was a solid win over a consistently strong program. (Brianna) and Margo led us (and) Luisa has been a huge plus for us in the doubles line up," Head Coach Mat Iandolo said. 

The Utes will be back in action tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at the Eccles Tennis Center to face the Washington Huskies in their first home Pac-12 Conference match. The Utes will also host the Washington State Cougars at 11 a.m. and the Weber State Wildcats at 4 p.m. in a doubleheader on Sunday.

Doubles competition
Pletcher/B. Turley vs. Mazzari, Sveva/Alter, Lauren, 5-4
Gerstner Da Rosa/Petrovic def. Glumac, Ana/Rovira, Cristina, 6-1
Calton/W. Turley, win by forfeit

Singles competition
Margo Pletcher def. Mazzari, Sveva, 6-1, 6-2
B. Turley def. Rovira, Cristina, 6-2, 6-0
Petrovic def. Alter, Lauren, 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
Cheng def. Nicolaou, Constanden 4-6, 6-0, 12-10
Calton def. Glumac, Ana, 6-4, 6-2
W. Turley, win by forfeit