Oct. 19, 2006

SAN DIEGO - UNLV players turned in a sparkling 8-3 overall record in singles and doubles after Thursday's first day of competition at the 2006 Wilson/ITA Women's Tennis West Regional Championships at the Barnes Tennis Center on the campus of San Diego State.

Even with star singles player Elena Gantcheva having withdrawn because of an injury, all five Lady Rebels in the tournament got through their first-round matches and then three moved into the Round of 32 with another victory later in the day.

Still alive in singles are freshman Kristina Nedeltcheva, who after a first-round bye, defeated Stefanie Wetmore of UCLA 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. Joining her after a bye was sophomore Nikol Dimitrova, who outlasted Helene Lindstrand of San Diego 3-6, 7-6, 6-1. Senior Linda Tempelfelde first downed Tamara Tanner of Loyola Marymount 6-4, 6-2 and then swept Jacqui Williams of Hawaii 6-0, 6-2 to advance.

Also, both UNLV doubles teams won their first-round matches. Dimitrova and Claire Smith won 8-5 over Long Beach State's Emanuelle Tabatruong and Nina Burgoon while Tempelfelde and Mery Constanti teamed up to oust UC Irvine's Becky Bernhard and Inna Agababian 8-4.

No less than 17 Wilson/ITA Regional Championships for NCAA Division I men and women are taking place over the last two weekends of October at campuses throughout the country. The singles finalists and doubles champion from this event will earn spots in the November 2-5 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships hosted by The Ohio State University at the Racquet Club of Columbus.

2006 WILSON/ITA WEST REGION WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego
SINGLES ROUND OF 128Mery Constanti (UNLV) def. Erin Ivey (Loyola Marymount) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) byeClaire Smith (UNLV) def. Denise Liebscher (Long Beach State) 6-2, 6-0Linda Tempelfelde (UNLV) def. Tamara Tanner (Loyola Marymount) 6-4, 6-2Nikol Dimitrova (UNLV) bye
SINGLES ROUND OF 64(14) Ashley Joelson (UCLA) def. Mery Constanti (UNLV) 6-1, 6-3Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. Stefanie Wetmore (UCLA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3Elizabeth Lumpkin (UCLA) def. Claire Smith (UNLV) 6-3, 6-1Linda Tempelfelde (UNLV) def. Jacqui Williams (Hawaii) 6-0, 6-2Nikol Dimitrova (UNLV) def. 3-6, 7-6, 6-1
DOUBLES ROUND OF 64Dimitrova/Smith (UNLV) def. Emanuelle Tabatruong/Nina Burgoon (LBSU) 8-5Tempelfelde/Constanti (UNLV) def. Becky Bernhard/Inna Agababian (UC Irvine) 8-4