March 17, 2005

LAS VEGAS - The 32nd-ranked UNLV women's tennis team earned its second victory of the season against a top-30 opponent with a strong 6-1 win over No. 27 Indiana Thursday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The Lady Rebels, who are now 3-1 all-time vs. the Big Ten Conference school, improved to 7-3 overall while the Hoosiers fell to 7-7.

UNLV began the afternoon by sweeping three hotly contested doubles matches for one team point. Winning for the hosts were: Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis and partner Linda Tempelfelde at No. 1, Gyorgyi Zsiros and Claire Smith at No. 2 and Elena Gantcheva and Mery Constanti on court three.

Moving to singles, Indiana tied the score with a quick win at No. 3 but the Hoosiers would not earn another point.

At the top position, UNLV freshman Gantcheva improved to 10-2 vs. ranked opponents with a 6-1, 6-4 win over No. 99 Dora Vastag. Gantcheva, ranked 29th, is 24-3 overall and 8-1 in dual matches this season.

Ortiz-Luis won 6-2, 6-3 at No. 4, Zsiros took the day's only three-setter, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 at No. 2, Cindy Treber rolled at No. 5, 6-4, 6-4, and Smith finished the match by gutting out a 7-6, 7-6 win on court six.

"This was our best performance as a team this season," UNLV head coach Kevin Cory said. "We competed well up and down the line, including the match we lost. Indiana is going to beat a lot of quality teams this year so this was a big one for us. It also sets the stage for a big challenge vs. Duke, which we are looking forward to."

UNLV continues its homestand on Friday vs. the No. 7 Blue Devils beginning at 1 p.m.

UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#32 UNLV 6, #27 INDIANA 1At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas
DOUBLES: (UNLV EARNS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Ortiz-Luis/Linda Tempelfelde (UNLV) def. Batty/Walterova (IU) 8-52. Zsiros/Smith (UNLV) def. McGaffigan/Williams (IU) 8-53. Gantcheva/Mery Constanti (UNLV) def. Perton/Vastag (IU) 8-6
SINGLES: (UNLV EARNS FIVE TEAM POINTS)1. #29 Elena Gantcheva (UNLV) def. #99 Dora Vastag (IU) 6-2, 6-42. Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) def. Sarah Batty (IU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-13. Laura McGaffigan (IU) def. Sharon Marin (UNLV) 6-3, 6-04. Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis (UNLV) def. Dominika Walterova (IU) 6-2, 6-35. Cindy Treber (UNLV) def. Brianna Williams (IU) 6-4, 6-46. Claire Smith (UNLV) def. Cecile Perton (IU) 7-6, 7-6