SAN DIEGO (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team fought off San Diego State 4-3 to complete a perfect run through the Mountain West's West Division and earn the program's third straight regular-season division title Saturday afternoon at the Aztec Tennis Center.
The Rebels improved to 14-6 overall and 5-0 vs. conference competition (including a win over Colorado State that does not count in the league standings) while the Aztecs saw their four-match winning streak snapped to fall to 12-8 overall and lose for the first time in four MW outings this spring.
The visitors earned a 1-0 lead after taking the two completed doubles matches and then held on to split the six singles matches. With the contest eventually tied 3-3, all eyes were on court four where senior Anna Bogoslavets rallied to clinch it over Magda Aubets, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Bogoslavets, who saw her doubles match halted at 5-all at the third spot, dropped the first set in singles before storming back and posting the clincher for her squad.
NET NOTES: UNLV won its 11th regular-season (six) or tournament (five) title under head coach Kevin Cory. The women's program had zero championships before Cory was hired in 1999 … Aiwen Zhu and En-Pei Huang, ranked 62nd in the nation in doubles, improved to 22-8 this season with a 6-3 win over Nnena Nadozie and Alicia Melosch -- the only other ranked duo in the MW at No. 70. Zhu ranks third all-time at the school with 87 doubles wins … Zhu dropped her singles match in straight sets at the top of the lineup to mark her first loss in MW play this season and only the second defeat in the senior's last 14 outings. She fell to 25-7 overall and 12-3 in dual matches in 2019 … Bogoslavets improved her career record to 84-32, which ranks her 12th in school history for victories. She needs three more to enter UNLV's top 10 … Another Rebel senior, Jovana Kenic, won her match in three sets on court five to tie the team score.
QUOTABLE: "San Diego State played a great match today and I was really happy with the way we responded when they made their run. It's a great feeling for the team to be coming home regular-season champions again."
-UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV gets to enjoy a bye week while it waits for the rest of the conference to close out the regular season. Seeding for the Mountain West Tournament championship will be released in a week and the event takes place back in San Diego April 24-27.
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, SAN DIEGO STATE 3
April 13, 2019, at San Diego, CA
(Aztec Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Shakhnoza Khatamova (SDSU) def. #81 Aiwen Zhu (UNLV) 6-2, 6-4
2. Izumi Asano (UNLV) def. Jenny Moinard (SDSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
3. Nnena Nadozie (SDSU) def. En-Pei Huang (UNLV) 6-4, 6-3
4. Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) def. Magda Aubets (SDSU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
5. Jovana Kenic (UNLV) def. Alicia Melosch (SDSU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
6. Abbie Mulbarger (SDSU) def. Connie Li (UNLV) 7-6 (9-7), 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #62 Aiwen Zhu/En-Pei Huang (UNLV) def. #70 Nnena Nadozie/Alicia Melosch (SDSU) 6-3
2. Connie Li/Samantha Li (UNLV) def. Jenny Moinard/Mia Smith (SDSU) 6-2
3. Magda Aubets/Abbie Mulbarger (SDSU) vs. Izumi Asano/Anna Bogoslavets (UNLV) 5-5, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,3,6,2,5,4)
