Jan. 28, 2000

LAS VEGAS - The 58th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team gave its new coach a debut victory as the Lady Rebels downed Nevada, Reno 8-1 in a closer-than-it-looked match on a cold evening at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Friday.

UNLV lost three first sets and was down in two others but turned it around in time to win five of six singles points from the Wolf Pack (0-1).

At the No. 1 spot, 23rd-ranked Katarina Malec narrowly avoided an upset with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Tjasa Jezernik. Other Lady Rebels scoring points were Veronica Goude, Britta Gabl, Urska Radonavic and Michaela Gabl.

Doubles play was equally as close as UNLV needed two tie-breakers to sweep the three matches. Malec and Bakken won at the top spot while the Gabl sisters and then Goude and Radonovic paired up to win 9-8.

The win was the first as a head coach for former Mississippi assistant Kevin Cory and meant UNLV has not lost a season opener since 1996.

"It feels good to get this first match out of the way," Cory said. "UNR was a very capable team and it looked like our kids came out nervous. Once we got an hour into the match, however, we played a lot better and I'm real proud of our determination."

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTSUNLV 8, NEVADA, RENO 1At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
SINGLES--1. Katarina Malec (UNLV) def. Tjasa Jezernik (UNR)  4-6, 7-5, 6-22. Veronica Goude (UNLV) def. Ana Bihler (UNR)          6-1, 6-33. Biljana Trpeska (UNR) def. Marianne Bakken (UNLV)    6-1, 6-34. Britta Gabl (UNLV) def. Shaina Rutherford (UNR)  7-5, 6-35. Urska Radonovic (UNLV) def. Ines Zouabi (UNR)    0-6, 6-3, 6-26. Michaela Gabl (UNLV) def. Coleen Cohee (UNR)         7-5, 7-5
DOUBLES--1. Malec/Bakken (UNLV) def. Jezernik/Kodee Domingo (UNR)8-42. B. Gabl/M. Gabl (UNLV) def. Rutherford/Bihler (UNR)  9-8 (8-6)3. Goude/Radonovic (UNLV) def. Zouabi/Trpeksa (UNR) 9-8 (7-2)