LARAMIE, Wy. – Senior Yvette Van Oijen rallied to taste victory in a super tiebreaker, but the UTEP tennis team fell at Wyoming, 6-1, on Saturday.
The Miners (3-7) were clipped in doubles play and couldn’t quite get on track in singles action against the Cowgirls (7-5).
Action commenced in doubles where Wyoming took the team point. Kirsten Prelle and Kathleen Percegona fell to Elisa Koonik and Tessa van Der Ploeg, 6-2, at No. 1 doubles. At No. 3 doubles Rine Nozaki and Erandi Martinez were downed by Maria Oreshkina and Ana Royo, 6-1. The match at No. 2 doubles went unfinished. Ida Krause and Mihaela Kaftanova were leading the Miners’ pairing of Van Oijen and Vanessa Valdez, 4-3, when it was stopped.
UTEP looked to rally back in singles play, but it wasn’t in the cards. The Miners did have some success, however, with Van Oijen picking up a win against Ana Fernandez at No. 5 singles. She lost the first set, 6-2, before taking the second set, 6-3. Van Oijen then claimed the super tiebreaker, 10-8, to complete the comeback.
Prelle’s five match-winning streak at No. 1 singles was halted by van Der Ploeg. Prelle won the first set, 6-3, but dropped the second set, 6-2. She then was tripped up in the super tiebreaker, 10-6.
Valdez fell to Koonik, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 2 singles. Martinez was downed by Oershkina, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 3 singles. Milena Baigorria was bested by Kaftanova, 6-1, 6-3, at No. 6 singles.
UTEP will look to produce a split on the road trip when it competes at Colorado State at 8 a.m. MT Sunday. There will be live stats available at the following link: UTEP at Colorado State
UTEP at Wyoming – March 2, 2019 at Laramie, Wyoming | (UW Indoor Courts) | Wyoming 6, UTEP 1
Singles competition
1. Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Kirsten Prelle (UTEP) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-6)
2. Elisa Koonik (WY) def. Vanessa Valdez (UTEP) 6-0, 6-4
3. Maria Oreshkina (WY) def. Erandi Martinez (UTEP) 6-1, 6-1
4. Ana Royo (WY) def. Kathleen Percegona (UTEP) 6-2, 6-4
5. Yvette Van Oijen (UTEP) def. Ana Fernandez (WY) 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
6. Mihaela Kaftanova (WY) def. Milena Baigorria (UTEP) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Elisa Koonik/Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Kirsten Prelle/Kathleen Percegona (UTEP) 6-2
2. Ida Krause/Mihaela Kaftanova (WY) def. Yvette Van Oijen/Vanessa Valdez (UTEP) 4-3
3. Maria Oreshkina/Ana Royo (WY) def. Rine Nozaki/Erandi Martinez (UTEP) 6-1
Match Notes:
UTEP 3-7 overall
Wyoming 7-5 overall
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,2,4,1,6,5)
