Lobo Season Ends in Opening Round Against Air Force

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — New Mexico’s season came to an end on Wednesday morning as the Lobos were swept by No. 7 Air Force in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament, losing 4-0 at Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas.  UNM’s season ended at 8-16.

The Lobos had a shot at the opening point in doubles as Maud Vandeputte and Coumba Ben Niangadou won their match at No. 1 6-2, but Sarah O’Connor and Maria Sodre lost 6-2.  That left it to No. 3 doubles, and Air Force’s Shivaani Selvan and Sofia Mavor had a 5-4 lead on UNM’s Maira Matsoukatidi and Sofia Taborga, but with UNM serving, they fell behind 40-30.  UNM evened it to deuce, but with a chance to extend the doubles point, Air Force took the deuce point and a 6-4 win.  That made it 1-0.

From there is was pretty much all Air Force as the Falcons took the opening set on all six singles courts in a far different match then three weeks ago which was a 4-3 Air Force win by a razor thin margin.  This time the Falcons took wins at No. 3 (6-1, 6-1 for Najia Kojonroj over Matsoukatidi), No. 3 (6-1, 6-3 by Selvan over Taborga) and finally at No. 1 (6-4, 7-5 for ALexis Odom over Vandeputte).

The loss ended UNM’s season at 8-16, and it marked an eighth straight loss to end the season, coming one season after losing three key seniors off UNM’s 19-3 Mountain West title team.  The Lobos lose five seniors off their year’s squad in Vandeputte, Sodre, Taborga, O’Connor and Allison Romero.