Staff Report
The No. 40-ranked UNM women's tennis team lost its first match in the Mountain West Conference and fourth overall Saturday against Brigham Young University.
The Cougars are ranked No. 26 in the country and squeaked by with a 4-3 win Saturday in Provo, Utah. The weekend wasn't all bad for the Lobos, as they managed to top the Utah Utes on Friday 6-1.
UNM is now 13-4 on the season and 4-1 in the MWC. BYU improved to 15-6 overall and 3-2 in the conference.
The Lobos lost the doubles point after getting beaten by the Cougars in every doubles match.
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Iva Gersic and Lucy Scott lost at the No. 1 spot to Dolly Chang and Sofia Holden 8-4. Maja Kovacek and Ola Abou-Zekry lost 8-5 to Anastasia Sourkova and Jennifer Miccoli in the No. 2 match. Nora Quintal and Jennifer Ryba dropped the third doubles match 8-2 to Olga Boulytcheva and Lauren Jones to complete the Cougar sweep.
The Lobos fared better in singles play, as they were able to take three of the five matches.
The No. 92-ranked Gersic took three sets to defeat Jones, finally winning the last one 6-1 after dropping the second 7-6 and taking the first 6-3.
The No. 39-ranked Kovacek's match at the No. 2 position went easier against Boulytcheva as the Cougar had to default the match because of an injury.
Quintal lost the No. 3 singles match against Sourkova 6-1, 6-2. Scott couldn't hold on in the No. 4 match, losing to Holden 7-6, 6-7, 7-5.
Abou-Zekry disposed of Chang at the No. 5 spot 6-2, 6-4. Mackenzie White lost to Miccoli at the No. 6 spot to seal the victory for the Cougars 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Against Utah on Friday, the Lobos dropped only two matches - one singles and one doubles. Gersic and Scott topped Elizabeth Ferris and Emily Kwok 8-5. Kovacek and Abou-Zekry took down Cinthia Saucedo and Leigh Walsh 8-4. The No. 3 doubles position was the only slip up for the Lobos, as Quintal and Ryba lost to Cheyenne Reveche and Karine Bourdages 8-4.
In singles, Gersic recorded a win over the No. 74-ranked Ferris in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.
Kovacek carried her share of the load with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kwok. Quintal helped out with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at the No. 3 position against Saucedo. Walsh was able to defeat Abou-Zekry at the No. 4 spot 6-4, 6-4. Scott beat Reveche at the No. 5 position 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-8). White defeated Allison Hansen-Sine 6-0, 6-1 at the No. 6 spot to close out the match for the Lobos.
UNM faces Texas Christian University on Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Lobo Tennis Complex.
