LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – For the second straight match, the UNLV women's tennis team bolted out to a big lead in singles only to see a nationally ranked opponent rally to win in the end. This time it was No. 35 Columbia making the improbable comeback, 4-2, on a blustery Thursday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
The Rebels dropped to 9-6 overall and 7-2 at home while the Lions of the Ivy League won their 10th straight to improve to 10-1 overall.
 
The hosts won a thrilling doubles point when Izumi Asano and Anna Bogoslavets took a tiebreaker on court three, 7-6, over Jennifer Kerr and Sarah Hu. Enjoying a 1-0 lead, UNLV proceeded to win the first set on four of six singles courts but saw the visitors rally to take three-setters on two of them to clinch the victory.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Senior standout Aiwen Zhu teamed with partner En-Pei Huang to win 6-2 at the top of the doubles lineup and then breezed by Kerr, 6-3, 6-2, in singles play to improve to 22-6 overall.
 
NET NOTES: Zhu's doubles victory moved her all alone in sixth place on UNLV's career list with 83 … She needs just one more doubles win to move into a four-way tie for third at the school … Zhu also sits all alone in sixth at UNLV with 95 singles victories … Senior Jovana Kenic, who has battled injuries this season, appeared in the dual-match lineup for the first time in 2019 and split sets at the sixth position before her match was halted.
 
QUOTABLE: "Tough result today. We let another opportunity slip through our hands, which was disappointing, but we need to regroup for Saturday."
-UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will host UTSA Saturday starting with doubles play at 10 a.m. Admission is free of charge.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
#35 COLUMBIA 4, UNLV 2
March 21, 2019, at Las Vegas, NV
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
 
Singles competition 
1. #96 Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) def. Jennifer Kerr (COL) 6-3, 6-2
2. Akansha Bhan (COL) def. Izumi Asano (UNLV) 2-6, 7-5, 6-0
3. Christie Wan (COL) def. En-Pei Huang (UNLV) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
4. Melissa Sakar (COL) def. Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) 6-3, 6-3
5. Andrea Kevakian (COL) def. Alex Kalachova (UNLV) 6-2, 6-0
6. Jovana Kenic (UNLV) vs. Ali Pollack (COL) 7-6, 3-6, unfinished
 
 Doubles competition 
1. #48 Aiwen Zhu/En-Pei Huang (UNLV) def. Christie Wan/Andrea Kevakian (COL) 6-2
2. Akansha Bhan/Melissa Sakar (COL) def. Connie Li/Samantha Li (UNLV) 6-4
3. Izumi Asano/Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) def. Jennifer Kerr/Sarah Hu (COL) 7-6
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,4,1,2,3)