April 29, 2010

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - The 33rd-ranked and second-seeded UNLV women's tennis team moved into the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Championships for the 10th time in the event's 11-year history with a 4-0 opening-round victory over Air Force at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on Thursday.

The Lady Rebels, who improved their 2010 record to 21-3 and all-time record at the MWC tournament to 21-7, will now play the winner of Thursday evening's match between TCU vs. Wyoming in one of Friday's semis at 2 p.m.. Top seed Utah will take on fifth-seeded San Diego State in the other side of the bracket. The women's final is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Fighting off unseasonably cold and breezy Las Vegas conditions, UNLV opened a 1-0 lead by winning the first two completed doubles matches. Kristina Nedeltcheva and Jana Albers, ranked 58th, won 8-4 at the top of the lineup to improve their record to 22-7. Nedeltcheva's effort extended a school record with what was her 97th career doubles triumph. Adrienn Hidvegi and Nives Pavlovic won the clincher by the same score on court three to up their record together to 23-9.

Moving to singles play, the Falcons won a pair of sets but UNLV picked up the first three singles wins to post the shutout. Rumyana Terzieva cruised past Sarah Cassman at the sixth position 6-0, 6-1. Albers, ranked 108th in singles, rallied after losing the first set to down Tahlia Smoke 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 at No. 2. Pavlovic then ended things on court three when the freshman downed Hannah Drake 6-4, 6-3.

"Today was a solid win for us to start the tournament," said UNLV head coach Kevin Cory. "Air Force always competes extremely hard and they made us work hard for it today. We look forward to a big semifinal matchup on Friday."

2010 MWC WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP#33 UNLV (2) 4, Air Force (7) 0April 29, 2010, at Las Vegas(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
Singles competition1. #50 Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) vs. Christen Monreal (AFA) 6-1, 5-7, unfinished2. #108 Jana Albers (UNLV) def. Tahlia Smoke (AFA) 1-6, 6-4, 6-03. Nives Pavlovic (UNLV) def. Hannah Dake (AFA) 6-4, 6-34. Adrienn Hidvegi (UNLV) vs. Christina Molina (AFA) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished5. Anna Maskaljun (UNLV) vs. Melissa Cecil (AFA) 3-6, 4-5, unfinished6. Rumyana Terzieva (UNLV) def. Sarah Cassman (AFA) 6-0, 6-1
Doubles competition1. #58 Nedeltcheva/Albers (UNLV) def. Monreal/Dake (AFA) 8-42. Maskaljun/Alisa Razina (UNLV) vs. Molina/Allie Chermel (AFA) 6-5, unfinished3. Hidvegi/Pavlovic (UNLV) def. Cecil/Smoke (AFA) 8-4Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (6,2,3)