ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico women’s tennis team is hosting the 2014 USTA/ITA Mountain Regional Championships this week, Oct. 15-19, at the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium and the Linda Estes Tennis Complex.
“We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s USTA/ITA Mountain Regional Championships here at New Mexico,” head Coach Erica Jasper said. “It is an awesome opportunity to utilize our phenomenal new facility—and a great chance for the community to get to see some of the best competition in the region right here at home.”
Over twenty teams from around the region will join the Lobos for the five-day event featuring a 128-player singles draw and 64-team doubles draw. A regional title is not the only thing that these teams will be battling for as the singles champion and doubles pair champions will also receive an automatic berth into the 2014 USTA/ITA National Indoor Champions being held Nov. 8-10 in Flushing, N.Y.
Lobos Natasha Smith (senior), Meredith Hopson (sophomore), Rachana Bhat (sophomore), Susan Baklini (sophomore), Emily Olivier (sophomore), Dominique Dulski (sophomore), and Sharon Coone (freshman) will represent the Lobos in the tournament.
Dulski and Smith picked up the No. 3 seed in the doubles bracket and will receive a bye for the first round of competition. The UNM duo recently claimed a doubles win in the first round of the ITA All-American Championships that started in late September. Last fall, Dulski and Smith made a deep run at the regional tournament as they dropped in the semifinals of the doubles bracket. Hopson and Bhat will make up another Lobo doubles pair for this year’s tournament. Baklini and Olivier will also team up for doubles.
“We’ve had a solid fall so far, however we have been travelling mostly individually to events,” Jasper added. “It will be nice to have the majority of our team in action this week—I know the players are thrilled to be at home. We have very good depth once again this year; this tournament will serve as a good opportunity for our players to show who is willing and able to represent us up high in the line-up this spring.”
In singles action, Hopson and Dulski both received No. 9 seeds in the 128-draw. Smith earned a No. 17 seed. Olivier, Bhat, Coone, and Baklini will also compete in singles play.
Matches will begin each day at 9 a.m. MTN.
Follow along with all the action on the UNM women’s tennis Facebook and Twitter pages. Full results will be posted at the end of each day on golobos.com.
2014 MTN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM
ORDER OF PLAY FOR WEDNESDAY (10/15)
COMPLETE SCHEDULE:
(LETC – Linda Estes Tennis Complex)
Wednesday October 15 (McKinnon and LETC Outdoor):
Round of 64 doubles
Round of 128 singles
Thursday October 16 (McKinnon and LETC Outdoor):
Round of 32 doubles
Round of 64 singles
Round of 32 singles
Friday October 17 (McKinnon only):
Round of 16 doubles
Quarters doubles
Round of 16 singles
Saturday October 18 (McKinnon):
Semis doubles
Quarters singles
Semis singles
Sunday October 19 (McKinnon):
Finals singles
Finals doubles