Final Stats

LARAMIE, Wyo. (April 15, 2017) – The Wyoming tennis team (16-3, 4-0 MW) won its seventh-straight match with a tough 5-2 victory against the Air Force Falcons (16-8 overall, 2-2 MW) on Saturday afternoon. With 16 victories on the season, it's the most wins in a single-season in program history. The Cowgirls are now 9-0 on the year at home.

"We obviously haven't lost the doubles point in a while, so it was a little different feel in the locker room in between," head coach Dean Clower said. "The good thing was that ladies put the doubles loss on themselves, took responsibility and said that we're going to get it done. It was all on them how they came out with that fire. The upperclassmen really showed their leadership, took care of business and executed the game plan. It was very much a team effort."

The two teams battled in doubles action with Air Force coming away with two wins to go up early in the match. The number two team of Dorottya Jonas and Ana Tkachenko won the first two games against Chloe Forlini and Jocelle Rudico but the pair dropped the next six of seven to fall 6-3, but the Cowgirls answered with a 6-2 win by Elisa Koonik and Tessa Van Der Ploeg against Elizabeth Barnickel and TJ Fumagalli. It came down to the team of Magdalena Stencel and Milka Genkova against Lily Forlini and Nadeen Lieberman. UW went up 2-0, which was answered with the Falcons winning the next five of six to go up 5-3. The Cowgirls won the next game, but would fall 6-4.

"We've been talking about Air Force all season and how good they've been. They are very well disciplined, well-coached and deeper than previous year's. They added TJ (Fumagalli) to the line-up, who is a talented recruit, plus a solid senior at one (Chloe Forlini), so we knew that this was going to be a battle. Good job for our team to come off a tough match against New Mexico and bring it today as well."

The Cowgirls had to earn the win the hard way by winning five out of six in singles action. Koonik got the Cowgirls on the board first with her quick work of Lieberman, 6-1, 6-1, followed by Stencel at the number one spot over Chloe Forlini, 6-3, 6-2. van Der Ploeg beat Barnickel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. For the second straight match, Tkachenko clinched the match for Wyoming with a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Rudico, while Genkova defeated Lily Forlini, 6-1, 6-2. In the teams' only loss of the day, Jonas battled Fumagalli at the number two spot. Air Force took the first set 7-5, which was answered with UW winning the next six games to take the second, 6-0. The Falcons won five out of eight games to go ahead 5-3. Jonas battled back on the next game, but didn't have enough in the tank falling 6-4 in the third set.

Wyoming will host its season finale next Saturday against the Colorado State Rams. The match is set 1 p.m. MT at the UW Indoor Tennis Courts. It will be senior day for Dorottya Jonas and Miranda Talbert.

Tennis Match Results
Air Force Falcons vs Wyoming Cowgirls
Apr 15, 2017 at Laramie, Wyo.
(UW Indoor Courts)

Wyoming Cowgirls 5, Air Force Falcons 2
Singles competition
1. Magdalena Stencel (WY) def. Chloe Forlini (AF) 6-3, 6-2
2. TJ Fumagalli (AF) def. Dorottya Jonas (WY) 7-5, 0-6, 6-4
3. Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Elizabeth Barnickel (AF) 6-3, 6-3
4. Elisa Koonik (WY) def. Nadeen Lieberman (AF) 6-1, 6-1
5. Milka Genkova (WY) def. Lily Forlini (AF) 6-1, 6-2
6. Ana Tkachenko (WY) def. Jocelle Rudico (AF) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Elisa Koonik/Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) def. Elizabeth Barnickel/TJ Fumagalli (AF) 6-2
2. Chloe Forlini/Jocelle Rudico (AF) def. Dorottya Jonas/Ana Tkachenko (WY) 6-3
3. Lily Forlini/Nadeen Lieberman (AF) def. Magdalena Stencel/Milka Genkova (WY) 6-4

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,1,3,6,5,2)