LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico women's tennis team dropped its first match at home to Houston on a windy Sunday morning at the NM State Tennis Center.
 
The visiting Cougars got on the board first, taking court No. 3 in doubles action. The Aggie No. 2 doubles tandem of Vanesa Valdez and Rebecca Keijzerwaard knotted things up when they defeated their counterparts 6-2. Houston took the doubles point moments later when Rimpledeep Kaur and Gabrielle Joyce fell 6-4 on court No. 1.
 
Singles action didn't bode well for NM State as it dropped the first set on all six courts before Lauren Alter defeated Eli Arnaudova 6-3, 6-4. The Aggies went down 3-0 when Kaur fell on court No. 1 6-3, 6-3. UH clinched the match against NM State not too long after when Valdez lost at No. 2 singles 6-4, 6-1.
 
New Mexico State will get two weeks off before it hits the road for three-match road swing. The Aggies first head to North Texas (Feb. 24) and then towards Arlington for a pair of matches against Stephen F. Austin (Feb. 25) and UT Arlington (Feb. 26).
 
MATCH #5
February 12, 2017
Houston 4 – NM State 0
NM State Tennis Center
Las Cruces, N.M.
 
Doubles

1. Dimitrova/Rovira (HOU) def. Kaur/Joyce (NMSU) – 6-4
2. Valdez/Keijzerwaard (NMSU) def. Glumac/Nicolaou (HOU) – 6-2
3. Mazzari/Alter (HOU) def. Harlas/Arnaudova (NMSU) – 6-3

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
 
Singles

1. Tsveta Dimitrova (HOU) def. Rimpledeep Kaur (NMSU) – 6-3, 6-3
2. Sveva Mazzari (HOU) def. Vanessa Valdez (NMSU) – 6-4, 6-1
3. Cristina Rovira (HOU) led Rebecca Keijzerwaard (NMSU) – 7-5, 3-1 (Unf.)
4. Lauren Alter (HOU) def. Eli Arnaudova (NMSU) – 6-3, 6-4
5. Constaden Nicolaou (HOU) led Marie-Pier Thiffault (NMSU) – 6-2, 5-4 (Unf.)
6. Ana Glumac (HOU) led Lindsay Harlas (NMSU) – 6-4, 2-2 (Unf.)

Order of Finish: 4, 1, 2