LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The No. 59-ranked UNLV women's tennis team is headed to the semifinals of the Mountain West Championship after an impressive 4-1 victory over Fresno State Thursday morning at the Darling Tennis Center.    

The second-seeded Rebels won their sixth straight, improving to 17-3 overall while the 10th-seeded Bulldogs ended their season at 10-14.

UNLV set the tone early by capturing the doubles point. Zita Kovacs and Aura Fang won 6-1 at the third position before Molly Helgesson and Salsa Aher clinched it with a 6-3 victory at the top of the lineup.

In singles play, the Rebels took the first set on four courts but Fresno State tied things with a quick win at the No. 1 spot. However, Aher rolled past Cristina Flaquer, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 3; Fang swept Carlotta Nonnis Marzano, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 6; and Kovacs ended it with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Matilde Magrini on court two.

Since the event's inception in 2000, head coach Kevin Cory has led his program to a sparkling 40-15 record in MW tournament play as he added to his league-record career wins total. UNLV has advanced to at least the semifinals every season except for three.

UP NEXT: UNLV will face sixth-seeded Boise State in Friday's semifinals, starting with doubles play at 11 a.m. The Broncos, who upset second-seeded San Diego State, 4-3, to advance, handed the Rebels one of their three losses this season in a 4-1 final played indoors in Idaho on April 1. On the other side of the bracket, Air Force will take on San Jose State. The winner of Saturday's final will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship.
 
2023 Mountain West Women's Tennis Championship Quarterfinals
Women's Tennis Match Results
#59 (2) UNLV 4, (10) FRESNO STATE 1
April 27, 2023, at Las Vegas
(Darling Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. JITTAKOAT, Pang (FS) def. Molly Helgesson (UNLV-W) 6-3, 6-0
2. Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. MAGRINI, Matilde (FS) 6-2, 6-4
3. Salsa Aher (UNLV) def. FLAQUER, Cristina (FS) 6-0, 6-2
4. Cindy Hu (UNLV) vs. PIFERI, Carolina (FS) 3-6, 6-5, unfinished
5. Coco Zhao (UNLV) vs. VYSHKINA, Mariya (FS) 6-3, 5-3, unfinished
6. Aura Fang (UNLV) def. NONNIS MARZANO, C. (FS) 6-2, 6-1

 Doubles competition
1. Molly Helgesson/Salsa Aher (UNLV) def. MAGRINI, Matilde/SAFI, M. (FS) 6-3
2. Cindy Hu/Coco Zhao (UNLV) vs. JITTAKOAT, Pang/FLAQUER, Cristina (FS) 4-4, unfinished
3. Zita Kovacs/Aura Fang (UNLV) def. NONNIS MARZANO, C./PIFERI, Carolina (FS) 6-1

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (1,3,6,2)