May 15, 2004
SEATTLE– With a key player missing from the Lobo lineup, the No. 31 University of New Mexico women’s tennis team went into the first round against the No. 32 Oregon Ducks with a few obstacles to overcome. The UNM squad held on strong through the singles rounds, winning three of the six matches, but it was not enough as the Lobos fell 4-3 in the first round of the NCAA regionals today at the Bill Quillian Stadium in Seattle, Wash.
No. 1 doubles and No. 5 singles player senior Sandy Lukowski was unable to play in the regional tournament this afternoon due to a back injury that occurred last week in practice. With Lukowski out of the rotation, New Mexico was forced to enter the match with a changed lineup.
Oregon clinched the doubles point, winning at the No. 1 and 3 positions. At No. 2 doubles, juniors Michelle Heidbrink and Tiffany Robertson defeated Oregon’s Anna Leksinska and Dominika Dieskova, 8-5.
In singles action, the Lobos battled back to make it a close match. At No. 2 singles, UNM’s Gersic defeated Dieskova, 6-3, 7-5 while senior Tjasa Suvak picked up the slack at the No. 5 spot, beating Oregon’s Leksinska, 6-2, 6-2. Rounding out the singles victories was Ruiz-Fabrega at the No. 6 position. She defeated Oregon’s Ester Bak, 6-2, 7-5. Oregon rallied back at No. 1, 3 and 4 singles for the 4-3 win over UNM.
The tournament marks the end of the season for the Lobo team who compiled an impressive 20-4 record for the year. Next week, UNM will send a doubles team and a singles player to the individual portion of the NCAA Championship in Athens, Ga., May 24-29.
Breakdown of Results
UNM 3, Oregon 4
Doubles
1. Panova/Nagle (UO) def. Gersic/Ruiz-Fabrega (UNM) 8-5
2. Heidbrink/Robertson (UNM) def. Leksinska/Dieskova (UO) 8-3
3. Mendiburu/Bak (UO) def. Kovacek/Quintal (UNM) 8-5
Singles
1. (12)Daria Panova (UO) def. (74) Maja Kovacek (UNM) 5-7,7-6,6-2
2. (111) Iva Gersic (UNM) def. (71) Dominika Dieskova (UO) 6-3,7-5
3. Courtney Nagle (UO) def. Tiffany Robertson (UNM) 6-3,6-0
4. Davina Mendiburu (UO) def. Michelle Heidbrink (UNM) 6-1,6-4
5. Tjasa Suvak (UNM) def. Anna Leksinska (UO) 6-2,6-2
6. Maria Ruiz-Fabrega (UNM) def. Ester Bak (UO) 6-2,7-5