BOISE, Idaho (UNLVRebels.com) – All alone in first place.
 
That's where the UNLV women's tennis team finds itself in the Mountain West on Sunday after staging an epic road comeback to upset arch-rival and 49th-ranked Boise State at the Appleton Tennis Center.
 
In a battle of two programs undefeated in conference play, the Rebels won their 10th straight outing to improve to 13-2 overall and 6-0 in the MW while the Broncos fell to 13-3 and 5-1 in the league. UNLV, which fell to BSU in last year's conference championship, ended a historic run by the Broncos who came in having won a school-record 12 consecutive Mountain West matches.
 
It certainly was not an easy feat as UNLV had to come back – twice – to pull off the stunner.
 
In doubles play, the visitors trailed early on all three courts but after Hudson Hawkins and Nikol Mircheva rallied for a 6-4 win over Zdena Safarova and Tereza Polakova at the top position, the hosts took it by the same score at No. 3. All eyes moved to court two where Veronika Kliuch and Eszter Kis-Czako came back from down 4-2 to force a tiebreaker, which they ultimately won 7-4 to secure a 1-0 lead.
 
In singles play, BSU won the only straight-set match of the day at the fourth position. The Broncos, who won the first set on five courts, then pulled ahead 2-1 with a point at No. 5 before Kliuch rallied to down Zdena Safarova, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, at the top spot to end her opponent's 10-match win streak.
 
The Broncos would retake the lead by winning a third-set tiebreaker at the bottom of the lineup, meaning the Rebels would need to capture both remaining matches to stay in first place – and did exactly that. Hawkins fought through another tiebreaker to finish off Masa Viriant, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), at No. 3 and Mircheva then improved to 11-2 in dual matches with a gutty 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Tereza Polakova on court two to hand Boise State its first loss since January 30.
 
QUOTABLE: "We knew it was going to be a battle today. Boise State played a great match and I am very proud of how we competed, came together and found a way to win in the end."
--UNLV Head Coach Tetiana Luzhanska
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Veronika Kliuch continues her historic run at the top of the singles lineup, improving to 22-2 overall and 15-0 in dual matches. That came, of course, after pulling out the doubles point with a key 7-6 win at No. 2 to get her team an early lead.
 
UP NEXT: It doesn't get any easier as UNLV returns home to host No. 42 San Diego State on Thursday starting with doubles play at 10 a.m. Admission to all matches at the Fertitta Tennis Complex is free of charge.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
UNLV 4, #49 BOISE STATE 3
March 29, 2026, at Boise, ID
(Appleton Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Veronika Kliuch (UNLVWT) def. Zdena Safarova (BOI) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Nikol Mircheva (UNLVWT) def. Tereza Polakova (BOI) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
3. Hudson Hawkins (UNLVWT) def. Masa Viriant (BOI) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Allison Isaacs (BOI) def. Eszter Kis-Czako (UNLVWT) 6-4, 6-2
5. Paula Schaefer (BOI) def. Kaho Oyama (UNLVWT) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
6. Carla Grignac (BOI) def. Sofiia Sokolvak (UNLVWT) 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)
 
Doubles competition
1. Hudson Hawkins/Nikol Mircheva (UNLVWT) def. Zdena Safarova/Tereza Polakova (BOI) 6-4
2. Eszter Kis-Czako/Veronika Kliuch (UNLVWT) def. Stella Beldiman/Paula Schaefer (BOI) 7-6 (7-4)
3. Carla Grignac/Lorelyz Marruffo (BOI) def. Kaho Oyama/Sofiia Sokolvak (UNLVWT) 6-4
 
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,5,1,6,3,2)