by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
The UNM women's tennis team returned home in style.
The Lobos swept Mountain West Conference foe Colorado State 7-0 on Thursday at the UNM Tennis Complex.
With the win, UNM improves to 9-10 on the season and 2-4 in the MWC. CSU drops to 7-10 and 1-6 in the conference.
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The Lobos are coming off a month-long road trip in which the team went 1-7.
Head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said the win did more for the team than just improve its record.
"I thought we played well," she said. "When we play that many strong teams in a row, lose or win, we learn a lot from it. We're on a roll now, and we hope it continues throughout the weekend and into the conference tournament next week."
The Lobos started the night off on a high note by winning the doubles point. With an 8-1 win at No. 3 doubles, Ola Abou-Zekry and Jennifer Ryba clinched the point for UNM.
Ryba said the doubles point gave UNM momentum for the rest of the match.
"Obviously, we've had a really rough season in doubles," she said. "It felt so good earning that point, and it's definitely a real advantage going into singles play."
In singles, Abou-Zekry topped CSU's Emily Kirchem 6-1, 6-3
at No. 1.
The match also marked the end of a four-game losing streak for Abou-Zekry at the top spot.
Abou-Zekry said the win gave her some much needed confidence.
"I played good - a lot better than my last four matches," she said. "I've been having a rough time lately, and I'm glad I turned it around and came up with
the win."
Senior Nora Quintal also posted a win, defeating Pohjalainen 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.
Quintal said she was inconsistent during her match.
"I thought the first set went really well," she said. "My opponent started playing a lot better during the second set, and I stopped making my shots. The key was having my teammates, the fans and my coaches rooting for me in the tiebreaker."
Being a senior added some nerves, Quintal said.
"It's a lot of pressure playing in my last home matches," she said. "I just really want to win and go out on top."
Women's tennis vs. Wyoming
Saturday, 2 p.m.
UNM Tennis Complex
