by Justin Goodrum
Daily Lobo
Senior day for UNM's women's tennis began with the Lobos staring at a potential regular season Mountain West title. It ended with the team secured in second place.
Seniors Tiffany Robertson and Michelle Heidbrink played their last matches at the Lobo Tennis Club against the struggling Air Force Falcons.
To win the regular season title, the Lobos not only needed to win their matches against Air Force but also needed Brigham Young and UNLV to split in their matches.
The Lobos held up their end then waited to see if they could grab that No. 1 seed.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Despite the Falcons' struggles in conference play, the No. 41-ranked Lobos did not take them lightly.
A win would automatically assure UNM of either a one or two seeding heading into the conference tournament.
Like the other nine matchups in their all-time series, the Lobos handed Air Force another loss in conference, cruising to a 6-1 victory.
The Lobos swept doubles competition and only lost one singles match, giving them at least second place in the MWC.
Robertson said the victory added momentum heading into the Mountain West tournament while improving her skills.
"It was a good boost heading into conference," she said. "I've been struggling a little bit, so I just wanted to come out here, have a really tight match and limit my errors."
Heidbrink, the other senior leader, reflected on her last season as a Lobo.
"We had a really tough regular season," she said. "We played a lot of top-20 teams. We grew so much as a team, and it's paying off now at the end of the season."
BYU won its match against UNLV and finished undefeated in conference play, making the team champion of the regular season. BYU's clinching win ended the Lobos' hopes for winning the regular season title.
Coach Kathy Kolankiewicz still has high expectations for her team in the tournament.
"The goal is take one day at a time," she said. "Win that first round and then have a tough second, whoever we play. We got by UNLV, 4-3, and San Diego, 5-2, so that's not going to be a given by any means. Last year we lost 4-3 (in a) very tough match - very much a heartbreaker. So our goal is to win that tournament."
Assistant coach Roy Ca§ada said his team will perform at an elevated level in postseason play.
"I do believe in this team," he said. "I think this team can take it all the way, and we can do some damage in nationals. We just have to get there."
The victory comes at a good time for the Lobos, who have a week to prepare before they make their way to San Diego for the MWC tournament.
