LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 31, 2018) – In its home finale, the Wyoming tennis team (9-6 overall, 1-1 MW) bounced back with a 5-2 win over the Utah State Aggies (11-9 overall, 1-0 MW) on Saturday morning in Laramie.
 
"I couldn't be more proud of how resilient we were as a team," head coach Dean Clower said. "There was a toughness we showed throughout the match both in doubles and singles. When people play us, they know it won't be an easy day. For the team to do that after a tough loss yesterday, it shows a lot of character in them."  
 
In doubles action, Cowgirls got the early momentum by winning two of the three matches to earn the point. Juniors Elisa Koonik and Tessa van Der Ploeg started off the day with a 6-1 win over Maggie O'Meara and Sabrina Demerath. Jenna Kane and Rhoda Tanui followed with a 6-1 win against freshman Myiah Scott and sophomore Ana Tkachenko. It would come down to the number two spot. Senior Magdalena Stencel and sophomore Milka Genkova got up 5-2 on the duo of Alexandra Taylor and Sasha Pisareva. The Aggies battled back and won the next three games to tie it up at five. Each team won its next service game to force a tiebreaker. After falling behind 2-0, the Cowgirls responded with seven of the next ten points to win the match 7-6 (7-5).
 
Koonik extended the UW lead to 2-0 with a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over O'Meara. Utah State won its first point of the day with Tanui beating van Der Ploeg, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. Stencel dropped her first set 6-1 against Pisareva, but responded by taking the next two, 6-1, 6-4. At the sixth spot, Scott lost her match, 6-0, 6-2 against Sophia Haleas. The Cowgirls would seal the win with Tkachenko winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, against Hannah Jones. In the final match of the day, Genkova and Demerath had a real battle. Utah State won the first set, 6-4, followed up by UW winning the second, 7-5. The two would hash it out in the third set with Genkova prevailing, 7-6 (10-8).
 
UW returns to action on Friday against the Air Force Falcons. The match is set for 5:30 p.m. in Colorado Springs.  
 
Tennis Match Results
Utah State vs Wyoming Cowgirls
Mar 31, 2018 at Laramie, Wyo.
(UW Indoor Tennis Courts)
 
Wyoming Cowgirls 5, Utah State 2
Singles competition
1. Magdalena Stencel (WY) def. Sasha Pisareva (USU) 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
2. Milka Genkova (WY) def. Sabrina Demerath (USU) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8)
3. Elisa Koonik (WY) def. Maggie O'Meara (USU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Rhoda Tanui (USU) def. Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
5. Ana Tkachenko (WY) def. Hannah Jones (USU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Sophia Haleas (USU) def. Myiah Scott (WY) 6-0, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Tessa van Der Ploeg/Elisa Koonik (WY) def. Maggie O'Meara/Sabrina Demerath (USU) 6-1
2. Milka Genkova/Magdalena Stencel (WY) def. Alexandra Taylor/Sasha Pisareva (USU) 7-6 (7-5)
3. Jenna Kane/Rhoda Tanui (USU) def. Ana Tkachenko/Myiah Scott (WY) 6-1
 
Match Notes:
Utah State 11-9, 1-1 MW
Wyoming Cowgirls 9-6, 1-1 MW
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,4,1,6,5,2)