ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – In one of the most crucial matches of the year so far, the UNM women’s tennis team proved that it is able to overpower national tennis powerhouses. The Lobos blanked No. 46 Kansas at the Lobo Tennis club today, 7-0, to improve its record to 4-2. In singles, New Mexico was victorious at every spot and managed to earn the all important doubles point with two wins at the No. 2 and 3 spots.
The No. 1 doubles team of Maja Kovacek and Tjasa Suvak were the only Lobos to drop a match today. The duo came up against tough competition in the pair of Courtney Steinbock and Paige Brown, who ended up defeating the Lobo pair, 8-5. Maria Ruiz-Fabrega and Rachel Hatley were in top form at the No. 2 doubles position. They were able to outlast Kristen Steinbock and Christine Skoda, defeating the Jayhawk pair 8-5. The most decisive doubles win of the day came from Tiffany Robertson and Michelle Heidbrink at the No. 3 position. The two handily defeated Emily Haylock and Luiza Loureizo, 8-4, improving their spring doubles record to an almost perfect 5-1.
It seemed the Lobos had little difficulty in singles this afternoon, recording an impressive 6-0 record against the powerful and experienced Jayhawk side. Maja Kovacek, coming off a disappointing loss to Denver’s Yanick Dullens on Friday, was looking to get an important win under her belt today. The freshman was defeated by KU’s Courtney Steinbock in the first set but came back to win the next two, 6-2, 6-3, for the victory. Tjasa Suvak was also looking to put Friday’s singles loss to Suzie Makovic behind her. Suvak came out in prime shape today against Paige Brown. She took the Jayhawk to two sets, winning both for a final score of 6-2, 6-3.
Michelle Heidbrink, who played in the final singles match of the day, improved her weekend record to 2-0 and her overall spring singles mark to an even 3-3 by defeating her KU opponent. Heindbrink topped Emily Haylock 7-6 in the first set before Haylock came back 7-6 in the second. The two went to a third set tie-breaker, which Heidbrink breezed through 10-4.
The final three Lobos to secure wins at the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots were Tiffany Robertson, Rachel Hatley and Maria Ruiz-Fabrega. Robertson took to the courts against Kansas’ Christine Skoda. The Lobo sophomore defeated Skoda with ease, 6-2, 6-4. Hatley also came away with a win against Kansas. She faced Kim Lorenz and breezed by the Jayhawk, 6-1, 6-3. Ruiz-Fabrega improved her spring singles record to 4-2 with her win today over Luiza Louriezo. Although the match was close, Ruiz-Fabrega held a 7-5, 7-5 advantage in both sets to earn the win.
The Lobo tennis team will return to competition Feb. 28-Mar. 2 at the UNLV Invite in Las Vegas, Nev. Teams at the invite will include host MWC school UNLV, Southwest Missouri State, Cal State Northridge, Loyola Marymount, NAU, Montana State and Oklahoma. Aa