Staff Report
After losing in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference a day earlier, the UNM women’s tennis team took its frustrations out on Colorado State University, trouncing the Rams 4-1 on Saturday to grab third place.
Despite a 4-1 loss to Brigham Young University on Friday at Fort Collins, Colo., the fourth-seeded Lobos dominated the sixth-seeded Rams. The 45th-ranked Lobos lost one singles match and won two-of-three matches in doubles to end the season at 16-9.
UNM started the rout early in doubles play and never let up. The tandem of junior Courtney Choate and freshman Sandy Lukowski defeated CSU’s Amanda Bartz and Allison Lisle 8-4 at the number one position. The Lobos wrapped up the doubles point with a victory at the number two position. Senior Natalia Alekhova and freshman Tjasa Suvak were winners over Morena Jovisic and Brenna Tindall 8-5.
The Lobos won four of the six singles matches, with all the wins coming in straight sets. Alekhova was victorious over Jovisic at the number one position 6-4, 6-0. The win is Alekhova’s 111th career singles victory, tying former Lobo Dominika Gerwin for second place in all-time career victories.
At the number four position, Choate eliminated Lisle 7-5, 6-4. Spilca got by the Rams’ Sullivan 7-5, 6-4 at the number five position. At the number six position, Fabrega was victorious over Bobbe Vsos 6-4, 6-1.
The only singles player who lost was Lukowski at the number two position. She was defeated by Hansson 6-4, 6-1.
On Friday in the semifinals, the Lobos suffered another setback against 31st-ranked BYU. The Lobos moved its record to 0-20 all-time against BYU. The number one-seeded Cougars swept the doubles matches and won the three singles matches it needed to get the win over the Lobos.
The number one doubles tandem of Choate and Lukowski were trounced by BYU’s Jodi Richardson and Brooke Ferney 8-4. UNM’s Spilca and Fabrega lost 8-3 at the number three position to Lu Oswald and Lindsey Ferrell. The doubles match at the number two position was stopped because the Cougars already won the doubles point.
In singles play, the Lobos fought hard, winning one singles match and sending two to three sets, but could not pull out enough victories.
Choate earned the only singles victory for the Lobos, defeating Ferney 6-4, 6-3.
UNM’s number one position player, Alekhova, was defeated by Richardson in a tough three-set match, 1-6, 6-0, 6-4. At the number three position, the Cougars’ Oswald crushed the Lobos’ Suvak 6-1, 6-0. Fabrega lost a three-set battle to Ferrell 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
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