LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team came back after falling behind twice to fight off Colorado State 4-3 on a cold and breezy Sunday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
The Rebels improved to 8-2 overall, 6-0 at home and 1-0 vs. Mountain West competition while the Rams fell to 4-2.
 
The guests took a 1-0 lead after winning on courts two and three in doubles. It marked the first time UNLV lost the doubles point since Feb. 1 at Texas A&M. The hosts would need to win four of six in singles and managed to do just that. Eventually sitting all even at 3-3, all eyes moved to court four where En-Pei Huang was battling Priscilla Palmero in a three-setter. Huang won four of the last five games to take it, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Aiwen Zhu was leading her doubles match with partner Huang at the top of the lineup when it was halted but the senior leader did finish off Emily Luetschwager at No. 1 singles to tie the overall match at 3.
 
NET NOTES: UNLV had shut out five consecutive opponents before the Rams won the doubles point to become the first visiting team to get on the scoreboard against the Rebels in Las Vegas this season … Zhu has now moved into seventh place on the school's career singles list with her 92nd victory and sits just two behind Anna Maskaljun (2008-11) in sixth place.
 
QUOTABLE: "Colorado State came out ready and played a great match. When it counted most, we responded and came up with a big win."
-UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will be off next week before heading to play a neutral-site against BYU in Tucson, Arizona, on March 2.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, COLORADO STATE 3
Feb. 17, 2019, at Las Vegas, NV
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
 
 Singles competition 
1. #81 Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) def. LUETSCHWAGER, Emily (CSU) 7-5, 6-1
2. Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) def. GRIJALVA, Alyssa (CSU) 6-2, 6-0
3. CLIFFE, Stella (CSU) def. #118 Izumi Asano (UNLV) 6-3, 6-3
4. En-Pei Huang (UNLV) def. PALERMO, Priscilla (CSU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-3
5. GHANEM, Nancy (CSU) def. Connie Li (UNLV) 6-3, 6-3
6. Samantha Li (UNLV) def. REEVES, Riley (CSU) 6-1, 6-2
 
 Doubles competition 
1. Aiwen Zhu/En-Pei Huang (UNLV) vs. GRIJALVA, Alyssa/GHANEM, Nancy (CSU) 5-2, unfinished
2. KOLBOW, Emily/CLIFFE, Stella (CSU) def. Connie Li/Izumi Asano (UNLV) 6-1
3. REEVES, Riley/LUETSCHWAGER, Emily (CSU) def. Alex Kalachova/Samantha Li (UNLV) 6-3
 
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (2,6,3,5,1,4)