Colorado State University Athletics
Tennis preview: Rams advance to second round of MWC championship
4/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 28, 2010
By Justin Warren
Athletic Media Relations
LAS VEGAS – The Colorado State tennis team defeated the New Mexico Lobos, 5-2, Wednesday afternoon at the Fertitta Tennis Complex, advancing to the second round of the Mountain West Conference championship.
The Rams (8-14, 2-6 MWC) entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed and clinched the victory at the No. 4 singles position when Lauren Mulhern defeated Manumea Durie in two sets, 6-3, 6-2. The victory was Mulhern’s 17th win of the season in singles.
“The key thing was that after doubles competition, the team settled down,” Head Coach Jon Messick said. “They were able to pull it together and play solid in singles. On every court in singles, the players just went out and played hard. It was a solid team effort to have a performance like we had on every court.”
CSU had to bounce back after dropping the doubles point. Laura Richardson and Amy Shipperd began doubles winning at the No. 3 position against Melissa Holzinger and Veronika Wojakowska, 8-1. The Rams tied doubles at 1-1, when Laura Neal and Caitlin Fluegge won for the second straight match at No. 1, over Anya Villanueva and Ashley Bonner, 8-5.
But Manumea Durie and Kirsten Eggleston put CSU down 1-0 in the team score after clinching the doubles point for New Mexico with a win over Mulhern and Tori Arneson, 8-2, at No. 2.
To begin singles competition, Fluegge tied the team score with a two-set victory at the No. 3 over Bonner, 6-1, 6-2.
CSU took the lead in the match shortly after with a win at the No. 2 position. Arneson had an impressive two-set match against an opponent she fell to the last time the Rams and Lobos met. Arneson won the match, 6-3, 6-0, over Eggleston.
Next, Wojakowska put CSU one point away from clinching the match. Wojakowska defeated Michaela Oldani in two sets, 6-1, 6-2, at the No. 6 position.
However, the Lobos attempted a comeback, winning at No. 1. Neal fell to Villanueva, 6-4, 6-1, to negate a sweep in singles by the Rams.
After the match was clinched at No. 5, Holzinger earned her 16th win of the season. Holzinger defeated Richardson, 6-3, 6-2, at the No. 4 position.
With the win, CSU earned the opportunity to take on the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament, the No. 39 Utah Utes, in Thursday’s second round.
“They are the number one seed and they are the team to beat right now,” Messick added. “We look at that as an opportunity. To win the tournament, you are going to have to play the No. 1 team at some point, and I think our players feel optimistic about the opportunity to do well against Utah. We are going to play hard and go after the best team in the conference.”
First serve for CSU vs. Utah is set for 1:30 p.m. MT Thursday.
Wednesday’s results
Singles
No. 1: Anya Villanueva (UNM) def. Laura Neal (CSU) 6-4, 6-1
No. 2: Tori Arneson (CSU) def. Kristin Eggleston (UNM) 6-3, 6-0
No. 3: Caitlin Fluegge (CSU) def. Ashley Bonner (UNM) 6-1, 6-2
No. 4: Melissa Holzinger (CSU) def. Laura Richardson (UNM) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5: Lauren Mulhern (CSU) def. Manumea Durie (UNM) 6-3, 6-2
No. 6: Veronika Wojakowska (CSU) def. Michaela Oldani (UNM) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1: Fluegge/Neal (CSU) def. Villanueva/Bonner (UNM), 8-5
No. 2: Durie/Eggleston (UNM) def. Mulhern/Arneson (CSU), 8-2
No. 3: Shipperd/Richardson (UNM) def. Holzinger/Wojakowska (CSU), 8-1