LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 9, 2018) – The Wyoming tennis team (6-5 overall) earned a hard fought 4-3 win on Sunday as it knocked off the Iowa State Cyclones (8-6 overall).
 
"I thought we pulled out this win today because we were gritty," head coach Dean Clower said. "We bent a little bit but didn't break. We continue to play our style of tennis on every single line. This is probably the best singles performance we've played this spring."
 
In doubles action, the Cyclones earned the first point of the day by winning two out of three matches. Senior Magdalena Stencel and sophomore Ana Tkachenko made easy work of their match with a 6-0 win over Ekaterina Repina and Margarita Timakova. The Cyclones responded by taking the next two. Juniors Elisa Koonik and Tessa van Der Ploeg lost 6-1 against Maty Cancini and Regina Espindola, while sophomore Milka Genkova and freshman Myiah Scott fell to Karen Alvarez and Annabella Bonadonna, 6-2.
 
"This was one of the biggest wins for Ana (Tkachenko) all year. Tessa (van Der Ploeg) was strong in the moments of her match when it was needed and Elisa (Koonik) came out and dictated her match."
 
Iowa State increased its lead to 2-0 in singles play. Cancini defeated Stencel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Genkova won in two sets, 6-0, 6-4, against Espindola followed by a three-set win, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, by van Der Ploeg against Repina. The Cowgirls went ahead 3-2 with another tough match by Koonik. She needed three sets as well, 4-6, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, over Timakova. The Cyclones pulled even with a victory at the sixth position as Alvarez beat Scott, 6-3, 6-2. It would come down to the final match of the day between Bonadonna and Tkachenko. ISU won the opening set, 6-4, while UW took the next one 6-2. Tkachenko went up 2-0 in the third set followed by a Bonadonna winning the next game to make it 2-1. She would respond by winning the next four games to win the set 6-1 and lead the Cowgirls to a 4-3 victory over Iowa State.
 
The Cowgirls will return to action on Friday, March 23 against the Weber State Wildcats. The match is set for 10 a.m. at the UW Indoor Tennis Courts.     
 
Tennis Match Results
Iowa State Cyclones vs Wyoming Cowgirls
March 11, 2018 at Laramie, Wyo.
(UW Indoor Tennis Courts)
 
Wyoming Cowgirls 4, Iowa State Cyclones 3
Singles competition
1. Cancini, Maty (ISU) def. Magdalena Stencel (WY) 6-3, 6-3
2. Milka Genkova (WY) def. Espindola, Regina (ISU) 6-0, 6-4
3. Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Repina, Ekaterina (ISU) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
4. Elisa Koonik (WY) def. Timakova, Margarita (ISU) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3
5. Ana Tkachenko (WY) def. Bonadonna, Annabella (ISU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
6. Alvarez, Karen (ISU) def. Myiah Scott (WY) 6-3, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Cancini, Maty/Espindola, Regina (ISU) def. Tessa van Der Ploeg/Elisa Koonik (WY) 6-1
2. Magdalena Stencel/Ana Tkachenko (WY) def. Repina, Ekaterina/Timakova, Margarita (ISU) 6-0
3. Alvarez, Karen/Bonadonna, Annabella (ISU) def. Milka Genkova/Myiah Scott (WY) 6-2
 
Match Notes:
Iowa State Cyclones 8-6
Wyoming Cowgirls 6-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (1,2,3,4,6,5)