The UTEP tennis team gave it all it had but wasn’t able to overcome the absence of its No. 1 & No. 2 players, and eventually fell at North Texas, 6-1, on Saturday afternoon.
Weronika Bloczynska and Martina Trierweiler, who entered with respective records of 10-1 and 5-2 in dual-match play, both missed the match for the Miners (9-3) with injuries.
The end result was every player being forced to move up two slots in the line up, and while each individual fought hard, the Mean Green (8-5) still managed to capitalize on the situation.
In doubles action, Megan Pritchard/Carolina DeLuca afforded UTEP a strong start by downing Irina Paraschiv/ Rachel Wilhelm, 8-5, at the top slot. UNT would rally, though, and secured an early edge behind victories at No.2 and No.3 doubles. Madura Ranganathan/Amy Joubert held off Ximena Fuentes/Marina DeLuca, 8-4, at the second spot while Catalina Cruz/Narine Kazarova tripped up Carla Murguia/Vicky Michaud, 8-1, at No. 3 doubles
In singles action, Carolina DeLuca moved up to fill Bloczynska’s void at No. 1 singles, and went toe-to-toe with Ranganathan early on. The freshman was derailed in the first set, 6-4, before coming up short, 6-2, in the second set.
Her elder sister, (Marina Deluca) wasn’t as fortunate at No. 2 singles, where she ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Paraschiv. The junior was dispatched, 6-1, 6-2.
Pritchard put the Miners on the board thanks to a hard-fought 6-4, 6-3, triumph at No. 3 singles against Dinuta. The effort moved the senior to 2-0 on the year at the position (1-3 at No. 4 & 5-1 at No. 5).
Fuentes almost joined her in the victory column, as she pushed Cruz to the brink at No. 4 singles. The sophomore was saddled with a 6-4 setback in the opening set but struck back in the second set on the strength of a 7-5 triumph. In the super tie breaker, Cruz snuck past Fuentes 10-8.
Michaud squared off vs. Kazarova at No. 5 singles, and despite playing hard, came up short (6-4, 6-2).
Murguia challenged Joubert in the No. 6 slot, where she fell by a final count of 6-3, 6-1.
North Texas 6, UTEP 1
Singles competition
1. Madura Ranganathan (UNT) def. Carolina DeLuca (UTEP) 6-4, 6-2
2. Irina Paraschiv (UNT) def. Marina Deluca (UTEP) 6-1, 6-2
3. Megan Pritchard (UTEP) def. Paula Dinuta (UNT) 6-4, 6-3
4. Catalina Cruz (UNT) def. Ximena Fuentes (UTEP) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8)
5. Narine Kazarova (UNT) def. Vicky Michaud (UTEP) 6-4, 6-2
6. Amy Joubert (UNT) def. Carla Murguia (UTEP) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Megan Pritchard/Carolina DeLuca (UTEP) def. Irina Paraschiv/Rachel Wilhelm (UNT) 8-5
2. Madura Ranganathan/Amy Joubert (UNT) def. Ximena Fuentes/Marina DeLuca (UTEP) 8-4
3. Catalina Cruz/Narine Kazarova (UNT) def. Carla Murguia/Vicky Michaud (UTEP) 8-1
