Lobos Drop Weekend Opener to Colorado 4-0

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Lobos made a game effort in singles and doubles, but Colorado was able to clinch three singles wins before UNM could get on the board, giving the Buffaloes a 4-0 win over the Lobos at McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium on Saturday afternoon.  The Lobos have no time to swell on the match as UNM hosts Weber State at McKinnon on Sunday at 11 am.

The Lobos and Buffaloes were in a tight battle early for the singles point, with UNM up handily at No. 1 doubles, CU on top at No. 2 and a stalemate at 2-2 early at No. 3.  At No. 1, Rebekkah Gaines and Maria Sodre held serve just once over the first four games, but the pairing broke Ema Bubalo and Anya Nelson twice for a 3-1 which quickly moved to 5-1.  However, Gaines and Sodre couldn’t quite close the deal in time.  At No. 3, Colorado’s Lera Alexin and Mila Stanojevic took a deuce point at 4-3 for a break of serve to give them a leg up on what eventually became the clinching 6-3 win.  That clinched it as Sofia Taborga and Maud Vandeputte likewise had a lost deuce point at 4-3 that turned their match with Aya El Sayed and Pia Rebec.

In singles, Vandeputte and O’Connor each took opening set wins, with O’Connor leading 3-1 in the second and Vandeputte down 4-3 but sitting at triple-break point.  Those matches were not finished however as Colorado took three straight set wins in the lower three flights for the win.  First, Bubalo took down Sodre 6-3, 6-1 and then Betina Tokac won 6-4, 6-3 over Maria Matsoukatidi.  Colorado looked like it would get a win at No. 1 singles, but Gaines, who dropped her first set to Stanojevic 6-0, battled back from 5-3 down to even her match at 5-5 in the second.

Sofia Taborga tried to hold on at No. 6, but ultimately fell 6-0, 6-4 to Alexin which ended the match.

UNM will now host Weber State, which is 0-7 on the season after losing 4-0 to UTEP on Thursday and 7-0 to New Mexico State on Friday.