Feb. 21, 2010
LAS VEGAS - UNLV improved to 8-0 in home matches and won its fifth straight match overall as the 50th-ranked Rebels held off No. 39 Texas A&M, 4-3, today at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The Aggies (3-3) won two of three doubles matches to take an early lead, but the Rebels came back to win four singles matches, including three that were determined in three sets, to win the match and improve to 8-2.
"I know UNLV prides itself on winning that doubles point and usually does win it, so I felt very pleased we got that, but I knew that we were in for a battle," A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke said. "It proved to be just what we thought."
A&M's Morgan Frank and Christi Liles highlighted the doubles competition, defeating No. 43 Anna Maskaljun and Alisa Razina, 8-2, at the No. 2 line. Stephanie Davidson and Sheri Olivier then clinched the point for the Aggies as they defeated Adrienn Hidvegi and Nives Pavlovic, 8-5, at No. 3. With the win, Davidson improved her dual match doubles record to 5-0.
UNLV's Jana Albers and Kristina Nedeltcheva prevented a sweep by the Aggies, holding off No. 52 Elzé Potgieter and Nazari Urbina, 8-7 (3) at the No. 1 line.
"I was very pleased that we came up with the doubles point," Kleinecke said. "It was good that Christi and Morgan came back after the day they had yesterday and bounced back to come up with the match that helped give us the doubles point."
Rumyana Terzieva quickly evened the score once singles began, disposing of Davidson, 6-1, 6-0 at the No. 6 line. UNLV then took its first lead as Nedeltcheva, ranked 45th in singles, handed 33rd-ranked Potgieter her first loss of the season with a 6-4, 6-0 victory at the No. 1 line.
Urbina, ranked No. 69, tied the score at 2-2 with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Pavlovic at the No. 2 line, but the Rebels regained the lead with a come-from-behind win at No. 5, where Maskaljun held off Olivier, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2).
Frank tied the score for the final time with a win at the No. 3 line. After dropping her first set, 7-5, to 72nd-ranked Albers, Frank defeated the Nebraska transfer, 6-4, 6-0 in the final two sets to force the winning point be determined in the last match standing.
Liles had won the first set, 6-4, against Hidvegi at No. 4 singles, but Hidvegi rebounded to win the next two sets, 6-3, 6-2, to clinch the win for the Rebels.
"The problem was that we gave away too many second sets that were too easy," Kleinecke said. "When you do that, you are putting yourself in a hole. As soon as that happened, we lost momentum in the match and they just finished it out."
The Aggies continue on the road next Sunday as they travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on the University of South Florida. Match time is 11 a.m. (10 a.m. CT), and live scoring of the match will be available at AggieAthletics.com.
(50) UNLV 4, (39) Texas A&M 3
February 21, 2010
Fertitta Tennis Complex
Las Vegas, Nev.
Attendance: n/a
Singles
1. (#45) Kristina Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. (#33) Elzé Potgieter (TAMU), 6-4, 6-0
2. (#69) Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. Nives Pavlovic (UNLV), 6-4, 6-2
3. Morgan Frank (TAMU) def. (#72) Jana Albers (UNLV), 5-7, 6-4, 6-0
4. Adrienn Hidvegi (UNLV) def. Christi Liles (TAMU), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Anna Maskaljun (UNLV) def. Sheri Olivier (TAMU), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (2)
6. Rumyana Terzieva (UNLV) def. Stephanie Davidson (TAMU), 6-1, 6-0
Doubles (A&M wins the point)
1. Albers/Nedeltcheva (UNLV) def. (#52) Potgieter/Urbina (TAMU), 8-7 (3)
2. Frank/Liles (TAMU) def. (#43) Maskaljun/Alisa Razina (UNLV), 8-2
3. Davidson/Olivier (TAMU) def. Hidvegi/Pavlovic (UNLV), 8-5
Order of finish
Doubles: 2, 3, 1
Singles: 6, 1, 2, 5, 3, 4*
*Clinched match
Team records
Texas A&M: 3-3
UNLV: 8-2