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Lobos Fall to No. 18 Tennessee 7-0

Box Score | Season Statistics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of New Mexico used eight players, including four freshmen but the No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers swept the Lobos 7-0 in New Mexico’s first match of the season.  Tennessee moved to 3-0 on the year.
 
UNM stays out on the road to face the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders on Monday at 11 a.m. Mountain Time.
 
“Credit to Tennessee, they played free and well, they are a very well coached and locked in team.” Said UNM head coach Ben Dunbar.  “There’s a lot to learn for us before Middle Tennessee State and we are excited to learn the lessons from today.”
 
UNM used three newcomers in doubles and saw some positives.  Tennessee took the doubles point as Stepan Holis and freshman Alex Maggs lost 6-2 to Mark Walner and Adam Walton at No. 3 doubles, and Dominic West and Facundo Bermejo lost 6-1 at No. 2 doubles to Giles Hussey and Scott Jones.
 
At No. 1 doubles, UNM used two newcomers in freshman Raul Dobai and senior transfer Jake Trondson, and they were trailing 5-4, but up in the 10th game to Pat Harper and Andrew Rogers.
 
That sent the match to singles, where UNM fell in straight sets in five of the six matches.  Stepan Holis, playing at No. 2 after mostly play No. 3 last year, took his opening set over Jones 6-0, but couldn’t closer it out, falling 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the only three-setter of the day.
 
Dominic West had a stout test at No. 1 singles, facing the country’s No. 23-ranked Adam Walton.  Walton won 6-0, 6-2 as West has now faced off against three straight nationally-ranked opponents dating back to the Fall.
 
The only other returner for UNM to play was Facundo Bermejo at No. 6 singles, and he lost to Andrew Rogers 6-2, 6-2.  Singles flights 3, 4, and 5 for UNM had freshmen, two of whom just got to campus after the Christmas break.
 
Those two were Sergio Molina, who lost 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles to Martim Prata, and Rafael Abdulsalam lost 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5 singles to Giles Hussey.  The other rookie was Dobai, who lost 6-0, 6-3 to Luca Wiedenmann at No. 4 singles 6-0, 6-3.