LARAMIE, Wyo. (March 31, 2021) – The Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team continues Mountain West play this weekend down south to the Air Force Academy as the Cowgirls (6-5, 0-1 MW) will face the Falcons Friday and New Mexico, Saturday. Both matches begin at 10 a.m.

The Cowgirls are coming off a hard-fought loss at San Jose State last weekend in their first conference match in nearly two years, falling to the undefeated Spartans, 4-3. The Spartans (8-0, 1-0 MW) won the final two singles matches of the day, at the No. 1 and 6 positions, to rally for the victory. Wyoming falls to 6-5 overall and 0-1 in MW play.

The Cowgirls were able to battle their way to winning the doubles point and jumped out to an early 1-0 lead Friday, as UW got wins at the No. 2 and 3 spots to secure the doubles victory. Mihaela Kaftanova and Ida Krause got the Cowgirls going with a 6-4 win at the third position while the duo of Ana Fernandez and Sophie Zehender rallied to also win 6-4 at the No. 2 spot. Kaftanova and Krause improved to 6-3 as a team this season while Fernandez and Zehender are now 9-1 and have won five straight.

Wyoming was able to get singles victories at the second position, as Zehender won her fifth consecutive singles match, defeating the Spartans' Rozalina Youseva in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2 and at the No. 4 spot, as Noesjka Brink improved to 6-2 in singles play this season with a 6-2, 6-4 win over SJSU's Lara Marco Mas. The Cowgirls took a 3-2 lead in the match with the two singles wins before the Spartans were able to rally late.

The Falcons enter Friday's contest with a 9-3 mark overall and is 1-1 in MW play. AFA split its conference-opening weekend last week losing 4-0 to Boise State before rebounding for a 4-2 victory over Utah State in Sunday's match. The Falcons are 2-2 at home this spring.

New Mexico is 7-3 in 2021 and is also 1-1 in conference play. The Lobos also split with the Aggies and Broncos, defeating USU, 4-1 and losing to Boise, 4-2. UNM is 2-0 in neutral court matches thus far this season.

-WYO-