EL PASO, TEXAS- The UTEP tennis team emerged from an early-season skid in a big way, showing the will to win in a pair of heart-pounding 4-3 triumphs on Saturday at the El Paso Tennis Club. The Miners (2-4) started the busy day by posting a come-from behind victory against Illinois State (3-2). They then kept the momentum going in dispatching in-state foe Sam Houston State (1-4) in the night cap.
Alexandra Glebova was the standout for the Orange and Blue, with two straight set triumphs. Freshman Dariya Abdrakhmanova registered her first career victory to tip the scales in favor of UTEP in the contest against the Bearkats. Carolina DeLuca and Martina Trierweiler also secured wins, with each topping a foe from Illinois State.
“We are really proud of the way the ladies fought,” UTEP head coach Jamie Campbell said. “They competed their hearts out. They did everything we asked them to do. UTEP fans should be really proud of the team today. To pull out 4-3 victories in both matches shows tremendous heart. We dug deep, in every ounce of that phrase.”
The Miners lost the doubles point against the Redbirds, but they rallied for an emotional triumph on the strength of claiming four of the six singles matches.
Trierweiler powered past Aniko Kiss in three sets, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, at No. 1 singles. Carolina DeLuca and Natalia Lech traded blows at No. 3 singles but UTEP’s sophomore won the points when they mattered most en route to a 7-5, 7-5 triumph.
Her elder sister showed plenty of determination in downing Franziska Steinhardt in a thrilling three-set match at No. 4 singles. Marina DeLuca secured the first set, 6-3, but she was edged out by a count of 6-4 in the second set. With the balance of the match hanging in the air, the senior delivered the win by dominating the decisive set, 6-1.
Glebova etched her name in the win column at No. 5 singles, doing so in convincing fashion. She jumped all over Ariane Maack, and on the way to posting a 6-1, 6-3 victory.
ISU’s Julie Zubkova snuck past Abdrakhmanova at No. 2 singles, 7-5, 6-2, while Hannah Esker managed to bounce Ximena Fuentes, 6-2, 6-1, but it proved to be a moot point.
After a short break, the Miners returned to the courts for their second match of the day.
UTEP took the doubles point, and the early lead against SHSU. Trierweiler/Carolina DeLuca cruised past Giorgia Pozzan/Sheridan Currie, 8-2, at No. 1 singles. Cally Woerner/Nadia Dubyanskaya doubled up the Orange and Blue tandem of Marina DeLuca/Fuentes at No. 2. The Miners secured the point, however, after SHSU forfeited the No. 3 doubles to the UTEP duo of Glebova/Austin Lavallii.
Singles play initiated shortly thereafter, where Glebova set the down by crushing Woerner, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 5 singles. Abdrakhmanova got things going individually against Currie at No2 singles, and ultimately was rewarded with a three-set triumph, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2).
Fuentes clinched the match with a victory via forfeit at No. 6 singles. Carolina DeLuca was tripped up at No. 3 singles by Postnikova, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3. Marina DeLuca, meanwhile, ran into a buzzsaw in the form of Dubyanskaya at No. 4 singles, falling 7-5, 6-0.
Trierweiler was leading early on against Pozzan, 4-3, but had to retire due to an injury.
UTEP will play its fourth match in the past three days when it squares off against Arkansas State at 9 a.m. MT on Sunday.
UTEP 4, Sam Houston State 3
Singles competition
1. Giorgia Pozzan (SHSU) def. Martina Trierweiler (UTEP) 4-3, retired
2. Dariya Abdrakhmanova (UTEP) def. Sheridan Currie (SHSU) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2)
3. Tatyana Postnikova (SHSU) def. Carolina DeLuca (UTEP) 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-3
4. Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU) def. Marina DeLuca (UTEP) 7-5, 6-0
5. Alexandra Glebova (UTEP) def. Cally Woerner (SHSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Ximena Fuentes (UTEP) def. No player (SHSU), by forfeit
Doubles competition
1. Martina Trierweiler/Carolina DeLuca (UTEP) def. Giorgia Pozzan/Sheridan Currie (SHSU) 8-2
2. Cally Woerner/Nadia Dubyanskaya (SHSU) def. Marina DeLuca/Ximena Fuentes (UTEP) 8-4
3. Alexandra Glebova/Austin Lavallii (UTEP) def. No player/No player (SHSU), by forfeit
UTEP 4, Illinois State 3
1. Martina Trierweiler (UTEP) def. Aniko Kiss (ILST) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0
2. Julia Zubkova (ILST) def. Dariya Abdrakhmanova (UTEP) 7-5, 6-2
3. Carolina DeLuca (UTEP) def. Natalia Lech (ILST) 7-5, 7-5
4. Marina DeLuca (UTEP) def. Franziska Steinhardt (ILST) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
5. Alexandra Glebova (UTEP) def. Ariane Maack (ILST) 6-1, 6-3
6. Hannah Esker (ILST) def. Ximena Fuentes (UTEP) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Franziska Steinhardt/Julia Zubkova (ILST) def. Carolina DeLuca/Martina Trierweiler (UTEP) 9-8 (7-5)
2. Natalia Lech/Aniko Kiss (ILST) def. Ximena Fuentes/Marina DeLuca (UTEP) 9-8 (7-5)
3. Hannah Esker/Carmen Peters (ILST) def. Alexandra Glebova/Austin Lavallii (UTEP) 9-7
