ST. GEORGE, Utah - One Western Athletic Conference match, one WAC win.

Playing in its first WAC regular season match in almost two full calendar years, the NM State women's tennis team captured an emphatic 5-2 victory over UTRGV Friday afternoon at the Trailblazer Tennis Courts on the campus of Dixie State.

DOUBLES
• It was the tandem of Harsha Challa and Gavi Kalaga who got the Aggies going in Utah. Their 6-3 victory in top-flight tandem play set the tone.
• UTRGV made a bid for the doubles point with its 6-2 triumph on line two, but Miranda Bishard and Lucija Josipovic sealed the deal for NM State. They took down the Vaqueros' team of Karren Lea and Ana Platisa 6-4 on line three to hand the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

SINGLES
• Challa continued her winning ways in one-on-one play, securing a 7-5 6-0 victory over Kristyna Mamicova in order to hike the Aggies' lead to 2-0.
• NM State kept its foot on the gas pedal, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after Kalaga took down Katarina Sasaroga by a 6-4, 6-1 score on line four.
• The Aggies cemented their victory when Chloe Gavino emerged as the victor on line two against the Vaqueros' Isabelle Bahr. Gavino dropped the first set 6-4 but battled back to knot the match up with a 6-1 victory in set one. Gavino found herself trailing 1-0 in the deciding set, but Bahr retired which gave Gavino the win and the Aggies the match.
• UTRGV captured wins on lines five and six, but Bishard ended the match with a solid 7-6 (3), 6-1 triumph in the third flight against Platisa.

COMING UP NEXT
• Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m., the Aggies will try to finish off a perfect first weekend in WAC action when they tangle with Seattle U at the Trailblazer Tennis Courts.

++NM State++