SAN DIEGO, Calif. (April 25, 2019) – The Wyoming tennis team gutted out a 4-2 victory over the New Mexico Lobos on Thursday morning in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Championship.  With the win, the Cowgirls are now 14-7 on the season. 
 
"Today was a good battle against a tough New Mexico team," head coach Dean Clower said. "I thought the team showed a lot of character and grit to comeback after losing the doubles point. We need to come out with the same attitude against UNLV tomorrow."
 
In doubles against the Lobos, seniors Elisa Koonik and Tessa van Der Ploeg opened up the day with a 6-1 win over Danielle Quevedo and Hsiang-Wen Huang. Freshmen Mihaela Kaftanova and Ida Krause suffered a 6-4 loss against Ruth Copas and Yue Lin Chen at the number three spot.  New Mexico clinched the point with a 7-5 win from Natasha Munday and Bronte Murgett over junior Ana Royo and freshman Maria Oreshkina.
 
Royo got the Cowgirls on the board with a two set win, 6-3, 6-2, over Quevedo followed by Koonik at the number two spot with a three set victory against Murgett, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. Krause won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 at the No. 6 spot over Chen. New Mexico earned its second point of the day with Copas defeating van Der Ploeg, 7-5, 6-2. At the No. 5 position, Fernandez and Munday had each won a set, but the Lobos retired in the third with UW winning the match 6-3, 3-6, 3-0. Oreshkina and Huang were all even but the match wasn't finished.  
 
Wyoming will now take on the top seeded UNLV Lady Rebels tomorrow in the semifinals. The match is set for 11 a.m. MT in San Diego.
 
Tennis Match Results
Wyoming vs New Mexico
4/25/2019 at Aztec Tennis Center
(San Diego, California)
 
Wyoming 4, New Mexico 2
Singles competition
1. COPAS, Ruth (NM) def. Tessa van Der Ploeg (WY) 7-5, 6-2
2. Elisa Koonik (WY) def. MURGETT, Bronte (NM) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
3. HUANG, Hsiang-Wen (NM) vs. Maria Oreshkina (WY) 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), unfinished
4. Ana Royo (WY) def. QUEVEDO, Danielle (NM) 6-3, 6-2
5. Ana Fernandez (WY) def. MUNDAY, Natasha (NM) 6-3, 3-6, 3-0, retired
6. Ida Krause (WY) def. CHEN, Yue Lin (NM) 6-4, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Tessa van Der Ploeg/Elisa Koonik (WY) def. QUEVEDO, Danielle/HUANG, Hsiang-Wen (NM) 6-1
2. MURGETT, Bronte/MUNDAY, Natasha (NM) def. Ana Royo/Maria Oreshkina (WY) 7-5
3. COPAS, Ruth/CHEN, Yue Lin (NM) def. Ida Krause/Mihaela Kaftanova (WY) 6-4
 
Match Notes:
Wyoming 14-7 (3-2)
New Mexico 12-9 (4-1)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,2,6,1,5,3)
Quarterfinals Match No. 5 2019 MW Women's Tennis Championship