Oct. 14, 2009

LAS VEGAS - Playing as part of their new region for the first time, the UNLV women's tennis program made quite an impression during the first day of competition Wednesday at the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Mountain Region Championships at the Stacy Darling Tennis Center.

After many years of playing this event in San Diego as a member of the West Region, UNLV was transferred by the sport's governing body to the Mountain, whose tournament moved this fall to Las Vegas for the first time. The Lady Rebels took full advantage of being in their own city, turning in a stunning 13-1 combined record in singles and doubles.

The team's top player, 90th-ranked Kristina Nedeltcheva, enjoyed a first-round bye and then eased by Melissa Cecil of Air Force 6-1, 6-0 to move into the Round of 32 and improve her senior record to 7-2.

Nives Pavlovic, seeded 9-16, also had a bye before downing Lais Ogata of Nevada, Reno 6-1, 6-2. UNLV's final seeded player, No. 17-24 Jana Albers, had a bye and then swept Mailia Wahinepio of Northern Arizona 6-4, 6-0.

A trio of Lady Rebels turned in upset wins to also remain alive. Rumyana Terzieva downed Christine Monreal of Air Force 6-1, 6-1 and then knocked off 9-16 seed Megan Price of rival BYU 6-1, 6-3. Adrienn Hidvegi got by Allexandra Ulesanu of Idaho 6-4, 6-1 and then closed the night's action with a gutty 6-7, 7-5, 6-4 rally past another 9-16 seed, Florence DeVrye of UNR. Earlier, Anna Maskaljun fought off Christina Molina of Air Force 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 before sweeping 17-24 seed Bianca Jochimsen of Boise State 6-2, 6-2.

The only Lady Rebel knocked out of the main singles draw was Ella Bourchier, who won her first-round match before later falling to the event's fifth seed.

UNLV was perfect in one round of doubles play on Wednesday. Top duo Nedeltcheva and Albers, seeded fourth, had a bye but all three other pairings won their initial efforts: Bouchier and Terzieva, Hidvegi and Pavlovic and Maskaljun and Alisa Razina.

"With this being our first year in the new region, we really wanted to make a strong showing and this was a big day for the Lady Rebels on the tennis courts," said UNLV head coach Kevin Cory. "Every girl on our team played hard and came away with some top-notch victories. It's significant that several of our players defeated seeded opponents."

The schedule calls for another two rounds of singles and one round of doubles on Thursday, along with consolation play.

Wilson/ITA Regional Championships for NCAA Division I men and women are taking place this month at sites throughout the country. Both the singles and doubles champion from this event will earn spots in the November 5-8 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships hosted by Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

2009 ITA MOUNTAIN REGION WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPSStacy Darling Tennis Center, Las Vegas
SINGLES ROUND OF 128(17-24) Jana Albers (UNLV) byeRumyana Terzieva (UNLV) def. Christine Monreal (AFA) 6-1, 6-1Ella Bourchier (UNLV) def. Amanda Bran (Montana) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4Anna Maskaljun (UNLV) def. Christin Molina (AFA) 6-0, 5-7, 6-2(9) Nives Pavlovic (UNLV) byeAdrienn Hidvegi (UNLV) def. Allexandra Ulesanu (IDAHO) 6-4, 6-1(2) Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) bye
SINGLES ROUND OF 64(17-24) Albers (UNLV) def. Mailia Wahinepio (NAU) 6-4, 6-0Terzieva (UNLV) def. (9-16) Megan Price (BYU) 6-1, 6-3(5) Lauren Megale (BSU) def. Bourchier (UNLV) 6-4, 6-3Maskaljun (UNLV) def. (17-24) Bianca Jochimsen (BSU) 6-2, 6-2(9-16) Pavlovic (UNLV) def. Lais Ogata (UNR) 6-1, 6-2Hidvegi (UNLV) def. (9-16) Florence DeVrye (UNR) 6-7. 7-5. 6-4(2) Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. Melissa Cecil (AFA) 6-1, 6-0
DOUBLES ROUND OF 64Bouchier/Terzieva (UNLV) def. Sarah Cassman/Christin Molina (AFA) 8-5Hidvegi/Pavlovic (UNLV) def. Minica Abella/Kristina Voytsekhovish (USU) 8-3(4) Albers/Nedeltcheva (UNLV) byeMaskaljun/Alisa Razina (UNLV) def. Silvia Irimescu/Barbara Maciocha (IDAHO) 8-1