Feb. 5, 2005
MADISON, WIS.-The No. 24 University of New Mexico women’s tennis team fell in a close 4-3 match against No. 48 Wisconsin today in the second consolation round of the USTA/ITA Indoor Championship in Madison, Wis. UNM fought hard as it won the doubles point and two singles matches, but in the end Wisconsin rallied back to win four of six singles matches for the victory.
In doubles, the No. 4 tandem of Maja Kovacek and Iva Gersic captured its third win of the tournament after defeating Wisconsin’s No. 27 duo of Lindsay Martin and Katie McGaffigan, 8-1, at the No. 1 position. At the No. 3 spot, UNM’s Nora Quintal and Tiffany Robertson earned their first win as a doubles team as they defeated Lexi Goldin and Chelsea Nusslock, 8-0.
New Mexico added two more points with wins at the No. 1 and No. 5 singles positions. Troubled with a pulled stomach muscle, No. 66 Gersic struggled at No. 2 singles against No. 99 Caitlin Burke. The match went into three sets with the second set going into a tie-breaker. Gersic battled her way through the long match, but Burke eventually outlasted the New Mexico sophomore and won 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2. Senior Michelle Heidbrink also faced three sets and a tie-breaker at the No. 3 spot against Martin, but was unable to pull out the win as she was defeated 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(3). Wisconsin also found wins at the No. 4 and No. 6 singles positions.
“I have to hand it to Wisconsin,” said UNM head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz. “They played extremely well at the positions they won. We will learn from it and it will make us tougher in the long run.”
Today’s match was the final one for the Lobos at the USTA/ITA Team Indoor Championship. New Mexico is back on the road Feb. 12-13 as it travels to Louisville, Ky. for a neutral match against Middle Tennessee State and a match against host University of Louisville.
BREAKDOWN OF RESULTS (ITA Team Indoor- Consolation)
No. 48 Wisconsin 4, No. 24 New Mexico 3
Doubles
1. No. 4 Kovacek/Gersic (UNM) def. No. 27 Martin/McGaffigan (UW) 8-1
2. Beck/Burke (UW) def. Heidbrink/Scott (UNM) 8-2
3. Quintal/Robertson (UNM) def. Goldin/Nusslock (UW) 8-0
Singles
1. No. 24 Maja Kovacek (UNM) def. No. 53 Katie McGaffigan (UW) 6-4, 6-0
2. No. 99 Caitlin Burke (UW) def. No. 66 Iva Gersic (UNM) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
3. Lindsay Martin (UW) def. Michelle Heidbrink (UNM) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(3)
4. Kaylan Caiati (UW) def. Lucy Scott (UNM) 6-4, 6-0
5. Nora Quintal (UNM) def. Nicole Beck (UW) 6-3, 6-3
6. Chelsea Nusslock (UW) def. Tiffany Robertson (UNM) 6-3, 6-1