Colorado State University Athletics
Colorado State
New Mexico
Tennis Recap: Rams earn "biggest win" of Messick's career
4/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- The Colorado State women's tennis team earned its first Mountain West victory since April 25, 2013, as the Rams knocked off No. 54 New Mexico, 4-3, on Sunday morning. The last conference victory also came against the Lobos, in the 2013 Mountain West Championships. This was the Rams' first victory over a nationally ranked team in at least 11 years.
"It is definitely the biggest win of my coaching career," head coach Jon Messick said. "New Mexico is ranked 54th, and we've never beaten a team ranked this high. We've never beaten a team as good as these guys are."
The Rams started hot, taking the doubles point after victories at the No. 1 and 3 doubles courts. Natalie Heffron and Adriana Wojakowska won their 10th doubles match of the spring, defeating the Lobos' Sharon Coone and Dominique Dulski, 6-3. After Maddie Buxton and Madison Porter fell 6-4 to Dalina Dahlmans and Meredith Hopson, CSU's Mollie Cooper and Celine Voss won a tight match, 7-5. Cooper and Voss led 5-2 and were in complete control, but UNM's Emily Olivier and Susan Baklini battled back to tie the match 5-5. Cooper and Voss didn't lose any confidence, winning the next two games to secure the doubles point for CSU.
At the No. 1 singles spot, senior Natalie Heffron was defeated in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, a much more competitive match than the score shows. On court No. 2, senior Adriana Wojakowska jumped out to a 6-1 victory in the first set, before New Mexico's Natasha Smith had to retire because of injuries.
Messick was very pleased with Wojakowska in her short match.
"She just played so solid today," Messick said. "At the No. 2 they had to retire, the girl was hurt a bit, but give us credit, Adriana played a great match."
Laia Hernandez Soler defeated Meredith Hopson in straight sets 6-2, 7-6, to win her fourth singles match of spring.
Madison Porter, a transfer from New Mexico, and Maddie Buxton both lost in straight sets leaving the match tied at three apiece. It all came down to the No. 6 singles match between Celine Voss and Dalina Dahlmans. Voss won a very close first set 7-6 and cruised to victory 6-1 in set No. 2. Voss, just like she did earlier for the doubles point, secured the final singles point of the day and gave the Rams a dramatic victory.
"We've been talking about losing three-set matches and how we have to turn it around and today we did it," Messick said. "Today was the day the team decided how good they can be. Give New Mexico credit, they were down a little bit with injuries and they fought us hard and it came down to the last match."
This is the Rams' first regular-season conference victory since April 3, 2010 when they defeated New Mexico 4-3 in Fort Collins. The seven victories this spring are the most in a single season by CSU since 2011 (9).
Colorado State 4, New Mexico 3
University Tennis Complex
April 12, 2015
DOUBLES
Heffron/Wojakowska (CSU) def. Coone/Dulski (UNM) 6-3
Dahlmans/Hopson (UNM) def. Buxton/Porter (CSU) 6-4
Cooper/Voss (CSU) def. Olivier/Baklini (UNM) 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES
Emily Olivier (UNM) def. Natalie Heffron (CSU) 6-1, 6-4
Adriana Wojakowska (CSU) def. Natasha Smith (UNM) 6-1, retire
Laia Hernandez Soler (CSU) def. Meredith Hopson (UNM) 6-2, 7-6
Dominique Dolski (UNM) def. Maddie Buxton (CSU) 6-1, 6-1
Sharon Coone (UNM) def. Madison Porter (CSU) 6-2, 6-2
Celine Voss (CSU) def. Dalina Dahlmans (CSU) 7-6, 6-1
Order of finish: 2, 1, 4, 5, 3, 6
