April 28, 2000
LAS VEGAS - Host UNLV will look to earn its first-ever title after upsetting top-seeded San Diego State, 5-3, in the semifinals of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championship at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Friday.
Playing in high winds, the fourth-seeded Lady Rebels split six singles matches by taking the top half of the lineup. Winning for UNLV were Katarina Malec at No. 1, Veronica Goude at No. 2 and Marianne Bakken at No. 3. SDSU, at one point, took a 3-2 lead with wins at Nos. 4-6, before Goude won a three-setter by outlasting Laura Aguero in a tiebreaker to even things at three apiece.
UNLV dominated doubles play, however, winning first at No. 2 where Britta Gabl and Amy Hadziosmanovic teamed up for their first-ever victory at that position with an 8-3 win over Lisa Papi and Katja Karrento. At the top spot, 28th-ranked Malec and Bakken won their 13th-straight match and improved to 20-1 in dual matches with an 8-4 victory over Aguero and Whitney Wells. The third doubles match was halted with UNLV ahead 7-5.
"This is a great day for the UNLV program," UNLV head coach Kevin Cory said. "To knock out the No. 1 seed is tremendous. Veronica Goude's win at No. 2 was critical for us. We had to at least be tied going into doubles and it really turned the momentum in our favor when she pulled it out. The wind was a factor but it affected the quality of play for both sides."
The Aztecs, who fell to 14-9 and 3-2, will face New Mexico in a match for third place Saturday.
"Wind is an equalizer and UNLV handled it better and played through it," SDSU head coach Peter Mattera said. "They played a great match under the conditions we were dealt. Doubles had been our strength this year but UNLV got a big emotional lift when they won the singles match at No. 3.
"Both us and New Mexico are disappointed and we'll see tomorrow which team deals with it better."
The Lady Rebels, who won their fourth straight to improve to 14-9 overall, 11-4 at home and 4-3 vs. MWC, will face BYU in Saturday's final. The 47th-ranked Cougars ousted second seed New Mexico, 5-4, in the other semifinal. UNLV lost 5-4 at BYU on Feb. 11.
"BYU presents a great challenge for us," Cory said. "We lost a close match indoors to them earlier in the season and we have been waiting ever since to play them outdoors."
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSecond Round -- Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas -- April 28, 2000
(4) UNLV 5, (1) SAN DIEGO STATE 3
SINGLES-1. Katarina Malec (UNLV) def. Whitney Wells (SDSU) 6-2, 6-02. Veronica Goude (UNLV) def. Laura Aguero (SDSU) 6-1, 4-6, 7-63. Marianne Bakken (UNLV) def. Katja Karrento (SDSU) 7-5, 6-24. Lindsey Hedberg (SDSU) def. Urska Radanovic (UNLV) 6-0, 6-35. Katey Becker (SDSU) def. Britta Gabl (UNLV) 6-2, 7-66. Julie Chidley (SDSU) def. Amy Hadziosmanovic (UNLV) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
DOUBLES-1. Malec/Bakken (UNLV) def. Wells/Aguero (SDSU) 8-42. Gabl/Hadziosmanovic (UNLV) def. Lisa Papi/Katja Karrento (SDSU)8-3*3. Goude/Radanovic (UNLV) vs. Chidley/Hedberg (SDSU) halted at 7-5*Clinching Match
BYU HEADS TO FINALS AFTER HOLDING ON VS. UNM
LAS VEGAS - BYU downed New Mexico 5-4 for the second time this season - and this time it landed the 47th-ranked Cougars in the finals of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championship.
In one of Friday's semifinals, third-seeded BYU won four singles matches and then held on in doubles play to oust the second-seeded Lobos to move to 19-0 all-time vs. UNM.
Winning for BYU were Jodi Richardson at No. 2, Tara Ferguson at No. 4, Dominique Reynolds at No. 5 and Lu Oswald at No. 6.
In doubles play, UNM won 8-2 at both the No. 1 and No. 3 spots to draw even. However, the Cougar team of Chiew and Oswald won 8-5 at No. 2 for the clincher.
"We played very well considering the conditions," BYU head coach Craig Manning said. "This is the most wind any of these girls has ever played in. New Mexico really scared us in doubles but this was a great effort overall."
BYU improved to 11-8 overall and 5-1 in the MWC while UNM dropped to 15-10 and 5-2.
"We are extremely disappointed to lose to BYU 5-4 again," Lobo head coach Dr. Karol Kolankiewicz said. "We have to give them credit, though, they played well under these circumstances."
New Mexico will face San Diego State in Saturday's third-place match while BYU will go on to face host UNLV in the championship at 2 p.m. The Rebels downed the top-seeded Aztecs 5-3.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSecond Round -- Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas -- April 28, 2000
(3) BYU 5, (2) NEW MEXICO 4
SINGLES-1. Ana Friganovic (UNM) def. Eline Chiew (BYU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-32. Jodi Richardson (BYU) def. Natalia Alekhova (UNM) 6-2, 6-23. Ashley Hedberg (UNM) def. Kim Kelly (BYU) 6-0, 6-34. Tara Ferguson (BYU) def. Dominika Gerwin (UNM) 6-4, 7-65. Dominique Reynolds (BYU) def. Neza Kurnik (UNM) 2-6, 6-1, 6-26. Lu Oswald (BYU) def. Nicoleta Spilca (UNM) 7-5, 6-4
DOUBLES-1. Friganovic/Hedberg (UNM) def. Richardson/Kelly (BYU) 8-22. Chiew/Oswald (BYU) def. Gerwin/Caroline Pollock (UNM) 8-53. Alekhova/Kurnik (UNM) def. Reynolds/Lisa Khoudoiarova (BYU) 8-2
COLORADO STATE BREEZES PAST WYOMING
LAS VEGAS - Colorado State disregarded the windy conditions and quickly put away Wyoming, 5-0, in the second round of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championship at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Friday.
The sixth-seeded Rams won all five completed singles matches in straight sets and the final match was halted. Winning for CSU were Amanda Bartz at No. 1, Heidi Auvinen at No. 2, Sanja Hansson at No. 3, Allison Lisle at No. 4 and Catherine Sullivan at No. 6.
CSU improved to 11-10 overall and 3-2 in the MWC. With the victory, the Rams advance to face Air Force in the fifth-place match Saturday at 10 a.m. (PDT).
The seventh-seeded Cowgirls, who fell to 8-13 and 1-6, will play Utah in the seventh-place match. The Utes were 5-2 losers to Air Force in the other morning match.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSecond Round -- Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas -- April 28, 2000
(6) COLORADO STATE 5, (7) WYOMING 0
SINGLES-1. Amanda Bartz (CSU) def. Melanie Roberts (WYO) 6-1, 6-32. Heidi Auvinen (CSU) def. Sarah Kay (WYO) 6-4, 6-33. Sanja Hansson (CSU) def. Sofia Espinosa (WYO) 6-2, 6-14. Allison Lisle (CSU) def. Shirley Mendoza (WYO) 6-4, 6-15. Bobbe Vasos (CSU) vs. Angela Dossetor (WYO) halted at 7-6, 4-16. Catherine Sullivan (CSU) def. Amanda Roberts (WYO) 6-3, 6-3
AIR FORCE UPSETS UTAH WITH WINDY WIN
LAS VEGAS - Playing through wind gusts that reached more than 40 miles per hour, eighth-seeded Air Force downed fifth-seeded Utah 5-2 for the first upset at the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championship at the Fertitta Tennis Complex Friday.
The second-round match lasted longer than four hours even though only one of three doubles matches was completed.
The Falcons, who improved to 14-8 overall and 1-4 in the MWC, won two three-set matches in singles play to earn a 4-2 lead. Winning for AFA were Brooke Parsons at No. 2, Nadine Lynn at No. 3, Julie Weiss at No. 4 and Kelli O'Bryant at No. 6.
In doubles play, Weiss and O'Bryant teamed up at No. 1 to down Megan Payne-Dorny and Cassie Kasteler, 8-5, to clinch the victory. The other two doubles matches were halted.
With the win, AFA advances to the fifth-place match and will face Colorado State Saturday at 10 a.m. (PDT). The Rams were 5-0 winners over Wyoming in the other morning match.
The Utes, who fell to 7-12 and 3-5, will play the Cowgirls in the seventh-place match.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSecond Round -- Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas -- April 28, 2000
(8) AIR FORCE 5, (5) UTAH 2
SINGLES-1. Megan Payne-Dorny (UU) def. Kristel Chuntraruk (AFA) 6-1, 6-42. Brooke Parsons (AFA) def. Cassie Kasteler (UU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-33. Nadine Lynn (AFA) def. Frida Kareld (UU) 6-2, 6-24. Julie Weiss (AFA) def. Irini Kotoglou (UU) 7-6, 6-05. Linn Ronnberg (UU) def. Ashley Gee (AFA) 6-2, 6-06. Kelli O'Bryant (AFA) def. Brooke Wilkinson (UU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
DOUBLES-1. Weiss/O'Bryant (AFA) def. Payne-Dorny/Kasteler (UU) 8-52. Halted3. Halted
