MOBILE, Ala. – The No. 52 Lobos matched up with two of their fiercest competitors so far this year in No. 23 Virginia Commonwealth on Friday and No. 32 Tulane today. New Mexico fell to both teams by 6-1 scores. Against VCU on March 14, UNM managed only one singles point at the No. 2 position over the powerhouse Ram squad. A similar fate was met when UNM faced the Green Wave of Tulane in New Orleans, La. this afternoon. The injury-ridden Lobo team was led by Sandy Lukowski at the No. 2 spot, who again was the sole point-getter for New Mexico. The losses drop the Lobos to an 8-6 overall mark this season.
Lukowski, a junior from Calgary, Alberta, beat VCU’s Christina Arribis, 6-3, 7-6 on Friday and then faced her strongest competitor of the Lobo road swing, No. 20-ranked Julie Smekodub of Tulane today. Lukowski defeated the freshman, 7-5, 6-1 to earn undoubtedly the Lobos’ best win of the year so far.
The Lobos head to San Diego this week for their first conference matches of the year. UNM will play San Diego State on Thursday, March 20 at 2 p.m. and UNLV on Friday, March 21 at 10 a.m.
No. 23 Virginia Commonwealth 6, No. 52 New Mexico 1
SINGLES1. Martina Escobar Martinez (VCU) def. Maja Kovacek (UNM), 6-4, 6-42. Sandy Lukowski (UNM) def. Christina Arribas (VCU), 6-3, 7-63. No. 83 Barbora Zahnova (VCU) def. No. 108 Tiasa Suvak (UNM), 6-0, 7-64. No. 99 Beatriz Cabrera (VCU) def. Tiffany Robertson (UMN), 6-0, 6-25. Silvia Urickova (VCU) def. Michelle Heidbrink (UNM), 6-3, 6-16. Ana Franco Lopez (VCU) def. Maria Ruiz Fabrega (UNM), 6-2, 6-1
DOUBLES1. No. 29 Urickova/Zahnova (VCU) def. Lukowski/Kovacek (UNM), 9-82. Arribas/Cabrera (VCU) def. Robertson/Heidbrink (UNM), 9-73. Franco Lopez/Escobar Martinez (VCU) def. Ruiz Fabrega/Hatley (UNM), 8-2
No. 32 Tulane 6, No. 52 New Mexico 1 SINGLES1) No. 44 Jenny Kuhn (Tulane) def. Maja Kovacek, 6-3, 6-12) Sandy Lukowski (UNM) def. No. 21 Julie Smekodub (Tulane), 7-5, 6-13) No. 70 Erika Valdes (Tulane) def. No. 108 Tjasa Suvak (UNM), 7-5, 6-24) Maria Ivanov (Tulane) def. Tiffany Robertson (UNM), 7-5, 6-15) Ana Maria Saaibi (Tulane) def. Maria Ruiz-Fabrega (UNM), 6-1, 6-26) Nancy Kockott (Tulane) def. Rachel Hatley (UNM), 6-3, 6-7 (10-1)
DOUBLES 1) Ivanov/Kockott (Tulane) def. Kovacek/Lukowski (UNM), 8-22) Valdes/Saaibi (Tulane) def. Michelle Heidbriak/Suvak (UNM), 8-03) Kuhn/Wood (Tulane) def. Ruiz-Fabrega/Hatley (UNM), 8-59