BOISE, Idaho (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team outlasted host Boise State Friday afternoon to post a 4-2 win at the Appleton Tennis Center.
 
The Rebels improved to 6-5 overall but more importantly 2-1 in the Mountain West while the Broncos fell to 8-3 and 2-1 in the league play.
 
UNLV opened the meeting by taking the doubles point thanks to a pair of 6-2 wins.
 
In singles play, the Rebels got wins from freshmen Zita Kovacs on court three and Aura Fang on court six but the Broncos scored points with straight-setters on courts two and four. At the top of the lineup, Izumi Asano dropped the first but battled back to take the second with a tiebreaker. She then fought off Joana Baptista in a third-set tiebreaker with the final score coming in at 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8) to end the match. UNLV's Sam Smith was battling in her own three-setter on court five when that match was halted.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Izumi Asano teamed with En-Pei Huang for a quick 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles before rallying for the marathon clincher in singles.
 
QUOTABLE: "Great win today on the road playing in a tough environment. (Boise State head coach) Beck Roghaar does a great job here, so we are happy to get out of this with a victory."
-UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory
 
NEXT FOR THE REBELS: UNLV will be back at it Saturday afternoon with a neutral-site meeting with Utah State on the campus of Boise State.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, BOISE STATE 2
April 2, 2021, at Boise, ID
(Appleton Tennis Center)

 Singles competition
1. Izumi Asano (UNLV) def. Baptista, Joana (BSU) 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (10-8)
2. Ernstberger, Pauline (BSU) def. En-Pei Huang (UNLV) 6-4, 6-2
3. Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. Stewart, Holly (BSU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
4. Timm, Vanessa (BSU) def. Connie Li (UNLV) 6-2, 6-2
5. Heffernan, Shauna (BSU) vs. Sam Smith (UNLV) 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (7-9), 3-4, unfinished
6. Aura Fang (UNLV) def. Vendrell, Ana Conde (BSU) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. En-Pei Huang/Izumi Asano (UNLV) def. Baptista, Joana/Heffernan, Shauna (BSU) 6-2
2. Stewart, Holly/Ernstberger, Pauline (BSU) vs. Connie Li/Sam Smith (UNLV) 4-4, unfinished
3. Aura Fang/Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. Discenza, Nicole/Vendrell, Ana Conde (BSU) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (4,3,2,6,1)