Lobos Win Fifth Straight, Beat CSU 4-1
Box Score | 2017-18 Season Statistics
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico handled business at home once again, and in the process picked up a fifth straight win. A nice comeback clinched the doubles point and then three two-set wins in singles pushed the Lobos to a 4-1 win over Colorado State at the McKinnon Family Tennis Center, giving UNM a win in its conference opener, and its fifth straight overall.
The match was the first of three straight in three days, and it took a little bit of a comeback for the doubles point that got UNM going.
The opening two doubles matches were both split 6-2, with UNM winning at three as Bronte Murgett and Lauren Rich beat Emily Luetschwager and Emma Corwin, but CSU’s Emily Kolbow and Riley Reeves beat Natasha Munday and Diana Wong, putting it all on the No. 1 double match.
That match went back and forth after UNM’s Danielle Quevedo and Hsiang-Wen “Albie” Huang took a 4-2 lead over Alyssa Grijalva and Priscilla Palermo. Girjalva and Palermo broke a serve at 4-2, and then the match went on serve the rest of the way, with UNM taking 5-4 and 6-5 leads only to have CSU answer each time. In the tie breaker CSU opened with a quick 3-0, but Quevedo served two points to make it 3-2, and then UNM got a pair of mini-breaks to make it 4-3 UNM. After CSU got it back to 4-4, UNM won the final three points, giving them seven of the final eight, and a 1-0 lead in the match.
From there is pretty much went UNM’s way as the Lobos took the opening set in five of the six singles matches. Quevedo improved to 13-8 on the year with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 win over Reeves, putting UNM 2-0. CSU got one back at No. 2 singles when Luetschwager beat Ruth Copas 6-2, 6-2, but that was it.
UNM put it away with two wins, at No. 1 and No. 4. Diana Wong did the honors at No. 1 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Palermo, evening up her season record at 10-10. The clinching honors went to Yue Lin “Polly” Chen, who won her fifth straight in defeating Kolbow 6-1, 6-3.
UNM returns to the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium Saturday morning to face Denver, which will enter the match at 13-4 on the year.
NOTES: Murgett’s match was unfinished, leaving her winning streak at five straight … Rich, Huang and Murgett all earned their team-leading 15th doubles wins.