JACKSONVILLE, FLA.- The UTEP tennis team was tripped up by Big 12 member Iowa State, 6-1, in the season-opening match for both squads Friday afternoon. Senior Marina DeLuca turned in a dominant performance in toppling Marie Chartier, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 4 singles but the other Miners couldn’t quite get it going.
UTEP (0-1) utilized a line-up which is talented but still quite young, and the lack of experience proved to be a detriment against the Cyclones (1-0).
Two of the Miners’ top six-players were competing in their initial dual-match (freshman Dariya Abdrakhmanova & junior-college transfer Alexandra Glebova). There is also a pair of sophomores (Martina Trierweiler and Carolina DeLuca). Junior Ximena Fuentes was in the line-up, giving UTEP just two returning upperclassmen. Freshman Veronika Makashov also debuted in dual play, doing so in doubles.
“We knew that Iowa State was going to be a tough opponent,” UTEP head coach Jamie Campbell said. “We learned a lot today and will be able to use that knowledge in moving forward. We need to improve on playing the big points better. We need to stay more focused with our winning plan in those moments.”
UTEP dug itself an early hole, after ISU picked up triumphs in each of the three doubles matches to stake a 1-0 lead. Erin Karonis/Jenna Langhorst held off the Miner tandem of Trierweiler/Carolina DeLuca, 8-5, at the top spot.
Tessa Lang/Maria Macedo managed to derail UTEP’s Marina Deluca/Abdrakhmanova, 8-3, at No. 2 doubles. Liza Wischer/Alyssa Palen snuck past Fuentes/Veronika Makashov, 8-3, at No. 3 doubles.
Following a brief reprieve, action switched to singles, where Marina DeLuca stole the show for the Orange and Blue. The senior, who was nagged by an injury throughout the fall portion of the slate, showed no ill effects in blasting Chartier for the straight set triumph.
Her younger sister, Carolina DeLuca, locked up with Tessa Lang at No. 3 singles. In a back-and-forth match from the opening point, Lang was just a bit better when it mattered most. DeLuca came up shy in both sets, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
Trierweiler ran into a buzzsaw at No. 1 singles in the form of Karonis, falling by a final count of 6-2, 6-4.
Abdrakhmanova, a mid-semester signee, gave Macedo all she could handle in the first set but couldn’t quite put it all together. She fell by a score of 6-4 in that initial set. The native of Russia wasn’t as sharp in the second set, with Macedo going home victorious, 6-1.
Glebova locked up with Langhorst at No. 5 singles, and the junior-college transfer was never able to get on track. She was stricken with a 6-3, 6-2, setback.
Fuentes battled every point in her match vs. Wischer at No. 6 singles, but was not rewarded for her effort in the win column. The product of Mexico fought valiantly only to suffer a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.
Makashov also competed in singles, doing so in an exhibition contest. She came up short against Reka Kelemen, 6-1, 6-1.
UTEP will look to bounce back when it battles North Florida at 7 a.m. MT on Saturday.
