LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- New Mexico got a little closer to knocking off Wyoming in the second meeting between the two squads. Still, the Lobos couldn't get more than one singles match as Wyoming eliminated UNM in the opening round of the CU1 Mountain West Championships by a 4-2 score. The loss ends UNM's season at 12-13, and Wyoming advances to take on top seed San Diego State on Thursday.
The Lobos, much like in the regular season meeting with the Cowgirls, won the doubles point, although it took a minute. The two teams split the first two doubles matches, with Sarah L'Allier and Ana Veroux getting a win at No. 2. That left it to a fairly new pairing of Vivica Corley and Coumba Ben Niangadou, who led 5-0 but dropped three straight deuce points to have that lead cut to 5-3. On a fourth straight deuce point and an eighth match point, the pair finally put the set away, giving UNM a 1-0 lead.
Corley didn't have nearly that much difficulty in her singles match, winning 6-4, 6-2 over Dinaz Mashabayeva, but that would be UNM's only singles win. That win made it 2-2, and it was tight as Bente Vandeputte forced a third set at No. 1 singles with a 6-1 second-set win.
However, down 4-3 in the third, she couldn't earn a break that she needed, losing 6-3, and Wyoming had a 3-2 lead. UNM's Yu Yun "Kathy" Tsai was locked in a third set at 3-3, and Lea Malazdra was starting a third, putting the match up for grabs. But Tsai was playing up at No. 2 due to an injury to Vianca Corley, and her opponent, Silver Bjilsma, proved a tad too much, winning the last three games for the match.
The Lobos lose just one senior off the 2025-26 squad in Vandeputte.