Box Score

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV women's team saved its best for last in the spring season winning the program's eighth Mountain West Tournament Championship, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships along the way. This marks the Rebels 12th trip to the event overall and first since 2013.

The third-seeded and 72nd-ranked Lady Rebels avenged a 4-3 loss earlier in the year to top-seeded Fresno State and upset the 47th-ranked Bulldogs 4-2 in Sunday's title match at the Fort Collins Country Club. UNLV improved to 24-1 overall, while Fresno State, which went undefeated in league play during the regular season, saw its five-match win streak snapped and suffered just its ninth loss in 28 overall outings.

For head coach Kevin Cory, who is in his 17th season in Las Vegas, it's championship number eight (three regular season titles), improving UNLV's record in MW finals to 5-3. The program had zero league crowns before he took over in 2000.

On Sunday morning, Fresno State took a 1-0 lead after winning two of the three doubles matches. UNLV was put in the position to rally in singles with four match points and did just that.

In singles play, UNLV got on the board with a blazing-fast two-set victory from all-conference member and freshman of the year Aiwen Zhu, at the second position. Zhu eased by Sophie Watts 6-1, 6-0. Fresno State took a 2-1 advantage at the top position where 62nd-ranked Mayar Sherif Ahmed beat 96th-ranked Carol Yang 6-4, 6-2. However, that would be the only singles match point scored for the Bulldogs as the Rebels won three straight matches. Rebel Anna Bogoslavets tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-5 win against Rana Sherif Ahmed. This marked Bogoslavets' 24th consecutive singles victory. Paola Artiga outlasted Anneka Watts 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 on court four to give the Rebels a 3-2 lead. The final point scored for the Rebels was on court five where Cristina Moroi downed Anneka Watts 6-2, 6-3.

"This is a great day for our program," said Cory. "We had an amazing year and we were not ready for it to end. Fresno State is a really good team and for us to be able to beat them in the finals was a great accomplishment." UNLV will find out where it will be headed on Tuesday for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Championships.

UNLV WOMEN ALL-TIME MWC CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH RESULTS 2000, defeated BYU 5-2 2002, defeated San Diego State 4-2 2005, lost to BYU 4-2 2007, lost to BYU 4-0 2008, defeated TCU 4-2 2009, lost to TCU 4-1 2013, defeated San Diego State 4-1 2016, defeated Fresno State 4-2

2016 MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS WOMEN'S FINAL#72 (3) UNLV 4, (1) #47 Fresno State 2May 1, 2016, at Fort Collins, CO (Fort Collins Country Club)
Singles competition1. #62 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (FS) def. #96 Carol Yang 6-4, 6-22. Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) def. Sophie Watts (FS) 6-1, 6-03. Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) def. Rana Sherif Ahmed (FS) 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-54. Paola Artiga (UNLV)def. Galina Bykova (FS) 6-4, 3-6, 6-25. Cristina Moroi(UNLV) def. Anneka Watts (FS) 6-2, 6-36. Sofya Malysheva (FS) vs. Iren Kotseva (UNLV) DNF
Doubles competition1. #31 Mayar Sherif Ahmed/Rana Sherif Ahmed (FS) vs. Carol Yang/Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) DNF2. Sophie Watts/Anneka Watts (FS) def. Anna Bogoslavets/Cristina Moroi (UNLV) 6-2 3. Sofya Malysheva/Olivia Noble (FS) def. Iren Kotseva/Paola Artiga (UNLV) 6-3 Order of finish: Doubles (3, 2); Singles (2,1,3,4,5)