Colorado State University Athletics
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Air Force
Tennis recap: Rams fall in final duals of season
4/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
April 24, 2011
By Amanda Bader
Athletic Media Relations
GREELEY, Colo. - The Colorado State women's tennis team concluded both its conference schedule and regular-season play this weekend against two Mountain West opponents, both home and away.
CSU sustained back-to-back losses, dropping a 7-0 sweep in Laramie, Wyo. to the Cowgirls Friday, and a 6-1 decision to Air Force Saturday. The match, originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Fort Collins, was moved to Work Out West in Greeley, Colo. due to poor weather.
With the pair of losses, the Rams fell to 8-13 (0-8 MWC) as the Cowgirls (12-8, 2-5 MWC) and the Falcons (16-9, 2-5 MWC) improved their final season records.
On Friday, play against the Cowgirls began on a tough note as the Rams fell in the first three doubles matches with Lauren Mulhern and Kaley Schultz showing the most promise for a win, losing 8-4 at the No. 2 position.
As play moved along into singles competition, the Rams attempts at a comeback were little too late as they again fell in six more consecutive matches.
At No. 2 singles, Tori Arneson fell, 7-5, in her first set to come back and win her second, 6-3. Unfortunately after splitting sets, Wyoming's Alexandra Kovacs came back in a third-set tiebreaker to defeat Arenson, 10-7.
Schultz attempts at No. 5 singles appeared the same to that at No. 2. Schultz sustained a loss in first set, 7-6, in a tie-breaking decision, but came back in the second frame, 6-4. Much like Arneson, Schultz fell, 10-7, in a third-set tiebreaker.
In a day to honor Colorado State's seniors, the postponed match Saturday did not appear to look up for the Rams as they sustained three-consecutive doubles losses to Air Force. Despite the doubles sweep, the Rams held on at No. 2 where Mulhern and Schultz fell in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (6).
The Rams' sole singles win was by Melissa Holzinger at No. 6. Due to the time and Air Force's clinched win, Holzinger and Anastasia Hueffner played out an eight-game pro set where Holzinger came from behind, 0-3, to halt the Falcons from a sweep, 8-6.
"We still do not have the team at the same level as far as consistency," said Head Coach Jon Messick. "We are going to need to spend our time preparing for next week and really working on that consistency."
Colorado State came close in several other matches, extending two singles matches to a third set and falling in tie-breaking decisions at the No. 1 position.
"It was a tough loss," said Messick. "The three setters made it close, unfortunately we didn't get the results we were hoping for in those matches which is something we are going to have to work on going into next week."
At intermission between doubles and singles play, the Rams honored their three seniors, Holzinger, Caitlin Fluegge and Kaitlin Wooldridge. Fluegge wrapped up her fourth season with the Rams, with a total of 81 wins (singles and doubles). In her two-year stance, Holzinger collected a 27-17 career singles record, was fourth in CSU records for all-time wins at No. 6 singles with 17, and was MWC Player of the Week this year. In her debut season with the Rams, Wooldridge compiled wins in seven singles and doubles matches in a backup role.
The Rams look to host the men's and women's Mountain West Conference Championships at the CSU tennis complex, April 27-30. Match times are TBD. Tickets are available at the door.
Saturday's results (Air Force 6, Colorado State 1):
Doubles:
1. Smoke/Cecil (AFA) def. Fluegge/Arneson (CSU) 8-3
2. Monreal/Hueffner (AFA) def. Mulhern/Schultz (CSU) 8-7 (6) 3. Drake/Cassman (AFA) def. Wojakowska/Wooldridge (CSU) 8-4
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles:
1. Christen Monreal (AFA) def. Caitlin Fluegge (CSU) 7-6 (3), 7-5
2. Melissa Cecil (AFA) def. Tori Arneson (CSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Tahlia Smoke (AFA) def. Lauren Mulhern (CSU) 6-2, 6-1
4. Sarah Cassman (AFA) def. Kaley Schultz (CSU) 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4
5. Hannah Drake (AFA) def. Veronika Wojakowska (CSU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Melissa Holzinger (CSU) vs Anastasia Hueffner (AFA) 8-6
Order of finish: 3, 1, 5, 2, 4, 6
Friday's results (Wyoming 7, Colorado State 0):
Doubles
1. Synkova-van Ginkel (WY) def. Arneson/Fluegge (CSU) 8-2
2. Kovacs-Berger (WY) def. Mulhern/Schultz (CSU) 8-4
3. Popovici-Van Hollen (WY) def. Holzinger/Wojakowska (CSU) 8-2
Singles
1. Veronica Popovici (WY) def. Caitlin Fluegge (CSU), 6-1, 6-3
2. Alexandra Kovacs (WY) def. Tori Arneson (CSU), 7-5, 3-6, 10-7
3. Kim van Ginkel (WY) def. Lauren Mulhern (CSU), 6-3, 6-0
4. Simona Synkova (WY) def. Veronika Wojakowska (CSU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Carly Van Hollen (WY) def. Kaley Schultz (CSU), 7-6, 4-6, 10-7
6. Rebecca Berger (WY) def. Melissa Holzinger (CSU), 6-0, 6-0
