Box Score | 2018 Season Statistics
WACO, Texas — The University of New Mexico women’s tennis team took care of business on day two in Waco, Texas, getting five singles wins and sweeping away the doubles point for a 6-1 victory over Western Michigan. The win was the 500th in the history of the program.
The win puts New Mexico at 1-1 on the season as the Lobos return to Albuquerque to prep for their home opening weekend on February 2-3 against Western New Mexico and CSU-Pueblo. The Broncos of Western Michigan dropped to 1-3.
The Lobos clinched the match 4-0, but the two teams elected to play everything out in singles. After taking the doubles point with a pair of 6-2 wins (by Ruth Copas and Hsiang-Wen “Albie” Huang at No. 1 doubles and Bronte Murgett and Diana Wong and No. 2 doubles, UNM quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead on the heels of a win by Copas at No. 1 singles 6-2, 6-3 over Melina Lyubomirova and a win at No. 6 by Yue Lin “Polly” Chen 6-2, 6-1 over Valeria Riegraf.
Chen, who did not play yesterday against Baylor, made the most of her opportunity, setting up UNM for its first win of the season. The match was clinched by Texas native Danielle Quevedo, who took a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 3 over Barbare Eristavi.
That made it 4-0 but Western Michigan got one back at No. 2 singles when Denise Acuzi beat Diana Wong 6-4, 6-3. UNM took the final two matches though to win it 6-1. Bronte Murgett won a three-setter 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, just ahead of Huang, who took a 6-3, 6-4 win over Katja Fevralev.
“I’m really proud of the girls to bounce back after yesterday where we played well but didn’t have a lot to show for it,” said head coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada. “It was great to put Polly into the lineup and see her do well, and I thought Ruth really set the tone for us the way she played.”
NOTES: New Mexico now leads the all-time series 2-0 … the Lobos, who are 1-1 on the season, opened the season 1-11 last year … dating back to last season, UNM has now won eight of its last 12, with two of the losses to nationally-ranked teams … UNM is now 500-375 overall.