LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team won doubles play and then did just enough in singles on Friday to remain undefeated at home this season with a 4-3 victory over Michigan State in what was the first meeting between the programs.
 
Playing through a mostly cold and sometimes blustery day at the Fertitta Tennis Complex, even leaving the courts at one point for a brief rain delay, the Rebels improved to 9-4 overall and 7-0 in Las Vegas. The Spartans of the Big Ten Conference saw their four-match winning streak snapped in falling to 9-5.
 
The hosts started strong by taking the top two doubles matches for a 1-0 lead. That included 49^th-ranked Aiwen Zhu and En-Pei Huang winning at the top of the lineup.
 
In singles, the Spartans picked up two quick straight-setters before the Rebels got wins on courts two, three and then six to win it. The final match came at the top and saw a rare home loss by 91^st-ranked Zhu. The senior won the first set vs. Samantha Memije but ended up falling 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to drop to 20-6 overall.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Freshman Alex Kalachova teamed with Samantha Li to win 6-3 in doubles and then rallied in singles to earn the team clincher on court six, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 over Nicole Stephens.
 
NET NOTES: En-Pei Huang won her ninth straight singles match to improve to 18-6 overall as a junior … Huang and Zhu's 6-2 win in doubles was the duo's eighth consecutive victory … Zhu lost a dual match on her home courts for the first time this season.
 
QUOTABLE: "Great win today for our team. Our doubles were better today and we found a way to grind out the three singles matches we needed to get it done."
-UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV gets right back on the courts Saturday when it hosts No. 42 San Diego starting with doubles play at 10 a.m. Admission is free of charge.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, MICHIGAN STATE 3
March 8, 2019, at Las Vegas, NV
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)
 
 Singles competition 
1. Samantha Memije (MSU) def. #91 Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Izumi Asano (UNLV) def. Lauren Lemonds (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
3. En-Pei Huang (UNLV) def. Maja Pietrowicz (MSU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Davina Nguyen (MSU) def. Samantha Li (UNLV) 6-1, 6-1
5. Emily Metcalf (MSU) def. Connie Li (UNLV) 6-2, 6-0
6. Alex Kalachova (UNLV) def. Nicole Stephens (MSU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
 
 Doubles competition 
1. #49 Aiwen Zhu/En-Pei Huang (UNLV) def. Maja Pietrowicz/Emily Metcalf (MSU) 6-2
2. Samantha Li/Alex Kalachova (UNLV) def. Samantha Memije/Nicole Stephens (MSU) 6-3
3. Lauren Lemonds/Davina Nguyen (MSU) def. Izumi Asano/Connie Li (UNLV) 6-0
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,2,5,3,6,1)