Feb. 15, 2002

PALO ALTO, Calif. - Although the 56th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season Friday, don't look for any disappointment coming from head coach Kevin Cory as the Lady Rebels challenged No. 3 Stanford before succumbing 6-1 to the nation's most powerful program at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

"This is by far the best I have ever felt after a loss," Cory said. "To make a team like Stanford sweat on their home court is a great feeling. We were up in four matches at one point, which goes to show how improved this team is this season."

The Cardinal lineup boasted the nation's top-ranked duo and sixth-ranked doubles team as well as five ranked singles players, including two of the top 11. Early on, it looked like Stanford (6-1) would continue its domination after sweeping three doubles matches for one team point and then taking two quick singles victories for a 3-0 lead.

However, senior Marianne Bakken prevailed at the sixth position, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 to put her team on the board and mark the first time in eight career meetings between the schools that UNLV took even one singles match.

All three remaining matches were in a third and deciding set when freshman Gyorgi Zsiros pushed 11th-ranked Gabriela Lastra to the brink before falling at the No. 2 spot, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, which clinched the overall match for the home team. On the fourth court, freshman Tracie Chong was one game away from losing in straight sets but rallied to win a second-set tie-breaker before falling 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-4 to 10th-ranked Erin Burdette. Rookie Leentjie Oosthuizen won her first set but then saw 52nd-ranked Keiko Tokuda rally and win in three sets, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1.

The Cardinal, which fell surrendered the nation's top ranking for the first time in two years this week after being upset 4-3 by new No. 1 Georgia, has won 36 of its last 37 matches. A year ago in Las Vegas, UNLV won only one set in getting whitewashed 7-0. Before Friday, Stanford had outscored the Lady Rebels 59-1 all-time. UNLV continues its brief road swing by playing at unranked Santa Clara Saturday.

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTS(#3) STANFORD 6, (#56) UNLV 1At Taube Family Tennis Stadium, Palo Alto, CA

SINGLES-(STANFORD EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. (4) Lauren Kalvaria (STAN) def. (59) Paulina Janus (UNLV)    6-0, 6-02. (11) Gabriela Lastra (STAN) def. Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV)   6-1, 4-6, 6-43. (42) Lauren Barnikow (STAN) def. Agnieszka Abram (UNLV)    6-2, 6-24. (10) Erin Burdette (STAN) def. Tracie Chong (UNLV)       6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-45. (52) Keiko Tokuda (STAN) def. Leentjie Oosterhuizen (UNLV)   6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-16. Marianne Bakken (UNLV) def. Emilia Anderson (STAN)     6-2, 4-6, 6-4

DOUBLES-(STANFORD EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. (1) Kalvaria/Lastra (STAN) def. Janus/Abram (UNLV)       8-32. (6) Barnikow/Burdette (STAN) def. Bakken/Zsiros (UNLV)   8-23. Story Tweedie-Yates/Tokuda (STAN) def. Chong/Oosthuizen (UNLV)8-3