April 29, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The third-seeded UNLV women's tennis team avenged a loss earlier in the season by doubling up second-seed New Mexico 4-2 in one semifinal of the 2005 Mountain West Conference Championship on Friday at the Barnes Tennis Center.
The Lady Rebels move into their third MWC title match in the six-year history of the league, but for the first time since 2002. UNLV has won both of its previous appearances in the final, downing BYU in 2000 and San Diego State in 2002.
UNLV, ranked 44th, improved to 14-7 overall and 7-2 vs. MWC opponents while the 48th-ranked Lobos fell to 15-9 and 7-2.
UNM upset the Lady Rebels 4-3 in Las Vegas on March 27. Things were different on Friday. UNLV shocked the Lobos by eking out a win in doubles as its top team, Elena Gantcheva and Sharon Marin, rallied from a 6-5 deficit to defeat UNM's eighth-ranked Maja Kovacek and Iva Gersic 8-6. It was just the third defeat vs. 20 wins in dual matches this season for the Lobo duo. Gyorgyi Zsiros and Claire Smith also won at No. 3 doubles for the Lady Rebels, 8-2 over Lucy Scott and Nora Quintal.
Leading 1-0 heading into singles play, UNLV overcame its top player going down in straight sets as 28th-ranked Gantcheva was upset by No. 46 Kovacek 6-1, 6-3. Proving their depth, the Lady Rebels got their points down low, taking matches on three of the bottom four courts.
First, Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis dusted off Michelle Heidbrink at No. 3, 6-2, 6-3. Then Cindy Treber won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, over Scott on court five. Smith ended things by rallying for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tiffany Robertson at No. 6.
"I am so proud of the heart and effort this entire team showed today," UNLV head coach Kevin Cory said. "This was another big day in our program's history and it put us exactly where we wanted to be - playing for a championship."
UNLV will face top-seeded BYU in Saturday's final, which begins at noon. The 18th-ranked Cougars (20-3, 9-0), who got by host San Diego State on Friday 4-2, defeated the Lady Rebels 6-1 in their regular-season meeting in Provo on April 16.
UNLV WOMEN'S TENNIS RESULTS#44 UNLV 4, #48 NEW MEXICO 22005 Mountain West Conference Championship - SemifinalsBarnes Tennis Center, San Diego,
DOUBLES - (UNLV WINS ONE TEAM POINT)1. Gantcheva/Marin (UNLV) def. #8 Kovacek/Gersic (NM) 8-62. Heidbrink/Robertson (NM) def. Ortiz-Luis/Linda Tempelfelde (UNLV) 8-53. Zsiros/Smith (UNLV) def. Quintal/Scott 8-2
SINGLES - (UNLV WINS THREE TEAM POINTS)1. #46 Maja Kovacek (UNM) def. #28 Elena Gantcheva (UNLV) 6-1, 6-32. Gyorgyi Zsiros (UNLV) vs. Iva Gersic (NM) DNF3. Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis (UNLV) def. Michelle Heidbrink (UNM) 6-2, 6-34. Nora Quintal (UNM) def. Sharon Marin (UNLV) 6-2, 6-45. Cindy Treber (UNLV) def. Lucy Scott (UNM) 6-2, 6-26. Claire Smith (UNLV) def. Tiffany Robertson (UNM) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
