Colorado State University Athletics

Team Heads North for Conference Duo
3/31/2022 1:53:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Rams face Air Force, New Mexico in Laramie
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Coming off a split the opening weekend of Mountain West play, Colorado State's women's tennis team is set for two more conference matches north of the border.
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There will be no Border War involved – that comes later in Fort Collins – but the Rams will have an in-state dual out of state as they start with Air Force in Laramie on Saturday, followed by a showdown with New Mexico on Sunday; both matches begin at 2 p.m. Neither will be new to the Rams, who faced both squads in fall tournament play.
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"After a loss, we're just excited for another chance against a Mountain West team," CSU head coach Mai-Ly Tran said. "Air Force we've seen in the fall, and they're an energetic, aggressive team and a local rival, so that will be fun. We saw new Mexico in the fall as well, but honestly, the fall and spring are very different, so we're expecting a tough match.
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"I think there's extra excitement on the conference matches, just because you know there's more weight to it. I've tried to tell the team to treat it the same."
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CSU beat San Jose State to open conference play, then dropped a decision to No. 68 Fresno State, now sitting at 7-6 overall, each loss coming to a team currently ranked by the ITA.
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Air Force swept the opening weekend to move to 13-3, beating Nevada and New Mexico. The Lobos, 9-5, 0-2, also lost to Nevada.
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Tran has seen consistent improvement in her squad this season, a trend she wants to see continue as they pursue dual-match victories. Radka Buzkova is 17-5 in singles play this year, while Somer Dalla-Bona is 16-9 having won her past seven decisions and Lucia Natal is 13-2.
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In doubles play, Buzkova and Matea Mihaljevic are 21-5 on the year, with Dalla-Bona and Richterova at 14-8.
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"I don't think we're at our peak yet, and I want them to continue to get better with every match we're playing," Tran said. "We learned a lot from our last match, and we hope to see that team again in the tournament. Every single match we use is in preparation for the end of the season."
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There will be no Border War involved – that comes later in Fort Collins – but the Rams will have an in-state dual out of state as they start with Air Force in Laramie on Saturday, followed by a showdown with New Mexico on Sunday; both matches begin at 2 p.m. Neither will be new to the Rams, who faced both squads in fall tournament play.
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"After a loss, we're just excited for another chance against a Mountain West team," CSU head coach Mai-Ly Tran said. "Air Force we've seen in the fall, and they're an energetic, aggressive team and a local rival, so that will be fun. We saw new Mexico in the fall as well, but honestly, the fall and spring are very different, so we're expecting a tough match.
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"I think there's extra excitement on the conference matches, just because you know there's more weight to it. I've tried to tell the team to treat it the same."
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CSU beat San Jose State to open conference play, then dropped a decision to No. 68 Fresno State, now sitting at 7-6 overall, each loss coming to a team currently ranked by the ITA.
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Air Force swept the opening weekend to move to 13-3, beating Nevada and New Mexico. The Lobos, 9-5, 0-2, also lost to Nevada.
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Tran has seen consistent improvement in her squad this season, a trend she wants to see continue as they pursue dual-match victories. Radka Buzkova is 17-5 in singles play this year, while Somer Dalla-Bona is 16-9 having won her past seven decisions and Lucia Natal is 13-2.
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In doubles play, Buzkova and Matea Mihaljevic are 21-5 on the year, with Dalla-Bona and Richterova at 14-8.
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"I don't think we're at our peak yet, and I want them to continue to get better with every match we're playing," Tran said. "We learned a lot from our last match, and we hope to see that team again in the tournament. Every single match we use is in preparation for the end of the season."
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Players Mentioned
CSU Tennis (W) Sights and Sounds: New Mexico
Sunday, March 31
CSU Tennis (W): UTEP SIghts and Sounds
Sunday, March 03
Colorado State Women's Tennis: Sights and Sounds vs. Wyoming
Monday, April 23
Colorado State Women's Tennis: Sights and Sounds vs. UNC
Friday, April 20