LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico State women’s tennis team travels north up I-25 to face No. 71 New Mexico, Sunday, March 8 at 11:00 a.m. in the Randy Briggs Indoor Tennis Bubble.
The Aggies (5-3) carry a three-match winning streak into the rivalry match in Albuquerque and are looking to end a six-match losing streak to the Lobos. NM State last beat UNM on March 17, 2002 by the score of 4-3 in Las Cruces, sending its record to 13-1 at the time that season.
Head coach Don Ball said that his team is excited to play this rivalry match.
“This is a huge match for us,” Ball said. “They just lost to Northern Arizona 4-3 and that’s the same score we lost to NAU by, so we fell more confident after that match than before. It’s always tough playing in their indoor bubble because there is nothing like it.”
New Mexico State is expecting to have sophomore Isabela Kulaif back in the singles lineup, something that Ball said gives his team a good chance to win. She has been nursing an injury and hasn’t played a singles match since Feb. 7.
Senior Paulina Zuniga and junior Sophia Marks have led the team this year in singles play. Marks plays at the top position for the Aggies while Zuniga locks up the tail end of the lineup. Both sport a 6-2 record this year and they both have won their last five matches.
The other Aggie who has been hot recently is senior Stephanie Eusebe. She has won her last three singles matches for NM State at the third position.
The doubles point has proven to be vital this year for the Aggies. NM State is 5-0 when they win the doubles point, but 0-3 when they don’t.
New Mexico comes into the match having lost five-straight. The Lobos are 2-7 overall on the year and just 2-4 at home.
