April 28, 2012

Box Score

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (UNLVRebels.com) - The 48th-ranked UNLV women's tennis team saw its 11-match winning streak against San Diego State snapped, 4-1, during Saturday's semifinals of the Mountain West Championships at the Aztec Tennis Center.

The second-seeded Lady Rebels fell to 16-9 overall while the third-seeded Aztecs moved into Sunday's final vs. top-seeded TCU with a 12-13 record. SDSU also avenged a 5-1 loss to UNLV in Las Vegas played just two weeks ago today.

The hosts took a 1-0 lead by taking both completed doubles matches. Emma Cioffi and Laura Antonana Iriarte downed Ella Bourchier and Anett Ferenczi-Bako 8-2 at the third spot before Julia Wais and Alicia Aguilar finished off Aleksandra Josifoska and Manon de Lanlay 8-1 on court two. With the point clinched, the match at the top of the lineup was halted with UNLV leading 5-2.

In singles, Aguilar made it 2-0 Aztecs with a 6-2, 6-4 win over de Lanlay at No. 4. Sierra Ellison soon pushed it to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Bourchier at No. 5.

UNLV found itself having to win all four remaining singles matches to survive - and nearly did.

Josifoska, ranked 113th in the nation, was next to finish and downed Cioffi 7-5, 6-4 at the second spot. Ferenczi-Bako split sets down at No. 6 and Batta looked to be doing the same at the top of the lineup. However, Antonana Iriarte rallied in the second set to defeat Pavlovic 6-3, 7-6 and give her team its fourth point to end things. The loss was the first by one of the top three Lady Rebels all season vs. a Mountain West foe as Batta, Josifoska and Pavlovic came into the day a combined 22-0 in league play.

Now sitting on the bubble, the Lady Rebels are left to hope for an at-large bid to the 64-team NCAA Championships. The field will be announced on Tuesday.

2012 MOUNTAIN WEST TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS(3) SAN DIEGO STATE 4, #48 (2) UNLV 1April 28, 2012, at San Diego (Aztec Tennis Center)
Doubles (SDSU earns one team point)1. Nives Pavlovic/Lucia Batta (UNLV) vs. Sierra Ellison/Roxanne Ellison (SDSU) 5-2 DNF2. Julia Wais/Alicia Aguilar (SDSU) def. Aleksandra Josifoska/Manon de Lanlay (UNLV) 8-13. Emma Cioffi/Laura Antonana Iriarte (SDSU) def. Ella Bourchier/Anett Ferenczi-Bako (UNLV) 8-2Order of finish: 3,2
Singles (SDSU earns three team points)1. #60 Lucia Batta (UNLV) vs. Julia Wais (SDSU) 5-7, 5-5 DNF2. #113 Aleksandra Josifoska (UNLV) def. Emma Cioffi (SDSU) 7-5, 6-43. Laura Antonana Iriarte (SDSU) def. Nives Pavlovic (UNLV) 6-3, 7-64. Alicia Aguilar (SDSU) def. Manon de Lanlay (UNLV) 6-2, 6-45. Sierra Ellison (UNLV) def. Ella Bourchier (UNLV) 6-3, 6-36. Anett Ferenczi-Bako (UNLV) vs. Kristin Buth (UNLV) 6-4, 3-6, 2-1 DNF Order of finish: 4,5,2,3