The No. 67 UNM women's tennis team was steam-rolled by No. 7 Northwestern.
The Wildcats blanked the Lobos 7-0 Saturday at the UNM Tennis Complex.
"They were a great team," head coach Kathy Kolankiewicz said. "In doubles, I knew right from then that they had such big serves and such hard, powerful groundstrokes, this was probably the best team we've ever faced."
UNM came out sluggish in doubles, dropping all three matches to the seventh-ranked Wildcats.
"I think we started out a little timid and shy, and that quickly turned into some frustration," Kolankiewicz said. "I think halfway through the doubles matches we realized that instead of getting frustrated, we could hang with them."
The Lobos took the opportunity to try out new combinations in doubles.
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Senior Jennifer Ryba paired up with freshman Victoria Tessmar for an 8-5 loss to Northwestern's Alexis Conill and Maria Mosolova.
"That was the first time Victoria and I have played together in a dual match," Ryba said. "I think we fared pretty well. We have a team full of girls that can play doubles, so we're just trying to find the best matches for partners."
In singles, senior Lucy Scott was the only Lobo to take a set off of Northwestern. After losing the first set 6-1 to No. 68 Lauren Liu, Scott rallied back from a 5-2 deficit in the second set to win, 7-4. Liu rebounded to a 10-1 win in the third set tiebreaker.
"I was hitting the ball really well," Scott said. "I feel like I was playing my best tennis in the second set. Normally, I'm not that much of an attacking player, but my attacking game really helped."
Junior Ola Abou-Zekry fared well against the No. 2 player in the country, Mosolova.
Abou-Zekry dropped the first set 6-2 but fought back in the second set to a 6-4 loss.
"I think I played good, but not my best," Abou-Zekry said after the match. "She was a very good player, and it required a lot of work to be able to keep up with her. There were a lot of long rallies out there. I was having a little trouble putting the ball away against her."
Junior Mackenzie White had a 4-0 lead in the first set over No. 9 Georgia Rose but lost the next 10 games en route to a 6-4, 6-3 loss.
"I thought I played really well," White said. "I had to work really hard to win every point. I felt like I was right there, and I can play nationally ranked players. I still have to improve my game a little more. But it was a great opportunity."
The Lobos are now 1-2 on the season with both losses coming to top-16 teams.
Ryba said the Lobos are excited about the rest of their tough schedule.
"Even though we didn't get a point on the board against
Northwestern, we know that we have potential," she said. "Right now, we are No. 67, but we should definitely be higher. I think we have the potential to be a top-40 team."
Women's tennis at NMSU
Sunday, noon
Las Cruces
