Lobos Fall to NAU for Split Weekend
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — In another tightly contested road match, UNM came up just short. Northern Arizona squeaked out a doubles point on the strength of a tiebreaker and the then took three singles matches for a 4-2 win as UNM earned a split of its weekend series in Flagstaff after defeating Montana on Friday 4-0.
The Lobos now get to play a home match after opening with eight straight on the road, as the team will host BYU on Thursday at noon at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
“I was pleased with our effort today. We played hard for our chances in doubles and came up just a little bit short,” said head coach Vicky Maes. “The same was true in single. We had good energy and fought for every opportunity, but NAU stepped up when it counted.”
The doubles point was crucial in the match and it barely went to Northern Arizona. After Bronte Murgett and Natasha Munday got the first half for UNM with a 6-4 win, UNM lost at No. 3 doubles as Hsaing-Wen “Albie” Huang and Yue Lin “Polly” Chen fell 6-4. That put everything on the No. 1 match and UNM’s Sara Kuuttila-Webbert and Myu Kageyama went to a tiebreaker with Adrianna Sosnoska and Mimi Bland. The tiebreaker eventually went to NAU 7-3, and with it it had a 1-0 lead.
Chiarra Tomsetti, ranked No. 44 in the country, made it 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 1 over Kuuttilla-Webbert and then NAU got it to 3-0 as Alisia Manolusco fell at No. 5 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. In a hole, UNM nearly worked its way out of it. Bronte Murgett got UNM on the board at No. 2 singles with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) win, and then Huang won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to make it 3-2.
With the last two matches in a third set, it was up for grabs, but NAU’s Emilie Haakanson ended it by taking the final three games in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over Kageyama as Munday was tied 2-2 in her third set.
“I’m encouraged by our improvements this week and look forward to finally playing a match at home,” said Maes.