LAS CRUCES – The NM State women's tennis team continues to search for its groove this dual season as it dropped a 4-3 decision to UTEP on Saturday at the NMSU Tennis Center.

The Aggies (2-7) were outdueled in doubles play, falling 6-1 on both courts No. 1 and No. 2 to give the Miners (6-5) the doubles point.

NM State fought for as long as it could, but the Aggies dropped three straight singles matches on courts No. 3, 1 and 5 respectively. Once UTEP clinched the match, 4-0, The Aggies began to show some life as senior Ashvarya Shrivastav grinded out a 7-6, 7-6 (11-9) victory at the No. 2 position.

Lindsay Harlas earned NM State its second point when she took down Bethan Hayward in a tiebreaker 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-3).

The Aggies then got their third point of the match on court No. 4 when Erika Castillo Lopez downed UTEP's Daphe Visscher 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5).

NM State will now hit the road for a trio of matches next week, March 16-19, beginning with Mesa Community College (March 16). The Aggies will then open Western Athletic Conference play with a two-match cluster held at Grand Canyon. On March 18, the Aggies face off against UT Rio Grande Valley before taking on the host, GCU, on March 19.

Match #9

UTEP 4, NM State 3

March 5, 2016

NMSU Tennis Center

Las Cruces, N.M.

Doubles

1.       Santos/Kulicke (UTEP) def. Kaur/Shrivastav (NMSU) – 6-1

2.       Wagenvoort/Visscher (UTEP) def. Jolliff/Harlas (NMSU) – 6-1

3.       Tench/Hayward (UTEP) vs. Thiffault/Lopez (NMSU) – Unf.

Order of Finish: 1, 2

Singles

1.       Vivienne Kulicke (UTEP) def. Rimpledeep Kaur (NMSU) – 6-1, 6-3

2.       Ashvarya Shrivastav (NMSU) def. Lois Wagenvoort (UTEP) – 7-6, 7-6 (11-9)

3.       Duda Santos (UTEP) def. Chloe Jolliff (NMSU) – 6-1, 6-0

4.       Erika Castillo Lopez (NMSU) def. Daphne Visscher (UTEP) – 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)

5.       Matilda Tench (UTEP) def. Mia Brandt (NMSU) – 6-3, 6-2

6.       Lindsay Harlas (NMSU) def. Bethan Hayward (UTEP) – 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-3)

Order of Finish: 3, 1, 5, 2, 6, 4

++NM State ++