The University of Wyoming Cowgirl Tennis team (4-2 overall) won their second consecutive match defeating the New Mexico State University Aggies (5-6 overall), 5-2, on Friday in Las Cruces, N.M.
"We wanted to start off the match picking up the doubles point, but had the understanding that if we did not we would be fine in singles," said UW head Tennis coach Kati Gyulai.
Unfortunately, the Cowgirls lost all three of their doubles matches to the Aggies. At the number one position Wyoming’s Simona Synkova and Kim van Ginkel were defeated by Isabela Kulaif and Aleksa Costa, 8-5. Cowgirls Rebecca Berger and Alexandra Kovacs played a close match against Aggies Manon Sylvain and Elizebeth Tapia, but ultimately lost, 8-7. The final doubles match of the afternoon featured UW’s Sarah Summerfield and Sasa Nemcova against NMSU’s Natalia Salum and Ginet Pinero. Summerfield and Nemcova were defeated by Salum and Pinero, 8-3. The doubles round in the match between the Cowgirls and the Aggies would not be the story of the entire day.
Wyoming’s confidence in their singles game would be proven as the Cowgirls defeated the Aggies in five of their six singles matches. Summerfield started things off with a straight sets win over Kulaif, 6-3, 6-3. Kovacs could not over come a first set loss falling to Aggie Sylvain, 6-3, 6-4. This would be Wyoming’s only loss in singles. In the number three position, UW’s Synkova rallied from a first set loss against Costa winning her match, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3. The next three Cowgirls won in straight sets over their Aggie opponents. Berger in the number four position defeated Pinero, 6-0, 6-4, and would seal the Cowgirl victory. Wyoming’s van Ginkel played a good match at the number five position, defeating Salum, 6-1, 6-1. The Cowgirls Nemcova played the final singles match of the day against Tapia. Nemcova would play a close first set with Tapia, but would ultimately win the match 7-6, 6-3.
"We worked together and got the job done, we are very excited about the win, and look to up our play even further as we head into Saturday and Sunday," concluded Coach Gyulai.
The Cowgirls will continue their weekend of action on Saturday against UTEP Miners at noon followed by a match with Illinois Chicago on Sunday beginning at 9:00 a.m. Both matches are set to be played in El Paso, Texas.
