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Women's Tennis: Lobos shut out in Georgia, now seek first victory in Colorado

UNM women’s tennis (0-2) left the state of Georgia without picking up a single point over two matches, but the team showed good signs against some tough competition.

The team gave Georgia, which was ranked No. 6 in the nation, all it could handle on Saturday in doubles play.

UNM doubles partners Andrea Leblanc and Diana Wong bowed out early, falling to Caroline Brinson and Kennedy Shaffer, 6-1.

But in the other two matches, the Lobos were leading or matching Georgia game for game. After holding a 4-2 lead, Ruth Copas and Cassie Chung allow it to slip away, eventually losing their match 6-4.

The momentum seemed to carry over for Georgia as the Bulldogs won all three singles matches in straight sets en route to a 4-0 team win.

Head coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada seemed to be happy with the way the team stepped up to face a top-10 program.

“We really competed today with a great program,” she said in a release. “I like the way we attacked when we had opportunities.

UNM squared off against Georgia State the following day, but had the same result at Hopkins Indoor Courts.

The Lobos dug an early hole when they were unable to secure the lone doubles point. Seniors Ludivine Burguiere and Dominique Dulski struck first, taking the first doubles match over Arina Taluyenko and Tarani Kamoe, 6-2.

But New Mexico dropped the next two doubles matches and fell behind 1-0.

It proved costly as the team had its chances in virtually every singles match, pushing four of the matches into a third set.

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But the Lobos were unable to close the door on any of them. UNM’s Dominique Dulski seized control by taking the first set, but Taluyenko fought back to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

After dropping the first set, sophomore Ruth Copas responded to take the second. But she faded down the stretch, dropping her match to Lara Vovk, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Burguiere took a hard-fought second set against Georgia State’s Kristin Rehse in a tiebreaker, 8-6. But after falling behind 4-2 in the decisive third, she was forced to retire due to cramping.

A release said she suffered from cramping and was unable to finish the match, which awarded Georgia State the final point for a 4-0 victory.

Burguiere said she wasn’t sure if the cramping was a result of dehydration or something else, but felt so weak she had difficulty even holding her racket.

Despite the loss, Burguiere said the team learned a lot and expects good things as the team continues to gel. She said the two freshmen, Wong and Chung, were unafraid of the moment and played really well.

Both of their matches went unfinished with Wong dropping a close 6-4 first set at the No. 5 position and Chung running out to a 3-1 lead in the first when Georgia State earned the final point.

The newcomers seem to be fitting in nicely and the road-heavy schedule could be a good way of bringing the team closer together. New Mexico doesn’t play a home match until Mar. 12.

The Lobos will stay on the road to face Denver on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by Colorado on Sunday at 2 p.m.

It is possible that the team may try out different lineups as seniors Rachana Bhat and Emily Olivier did not play in Georgia.

Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football and men’s and women’s tennis. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.

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