LAS CRUCES, N.M. - With a chance to collect a share of the 2021 WAC regular season title, the NM State women's tennis team put forth some strong play in select singles matches but wound up falling to league champion Grand Canyon by a 7-0 score Sunday afternoon at the NM State Tennis Center.
DOUBLES
• The Lopes got the upper hand in double action right away as Miranda Bishard and Kayla Fielder suffered a 6-0 shutout loss at the hands of Joely Lomas and Taylor Andersen in flight three.
• Chloe Gavino and Bella Nguyen took just one game off of Emilia Occhipinti and Autumn Prudhomme, falling 6-1 to the Lopes' duo to hand the visitors the doubles point.
• Harsha Challa and Gavi Kalaga did a little better than their teammates on the top line by taking four games. Still, the Lopes' top-flight tandem of Natasha Puehse and Jana Weiss claimed a 6-4 victory.
SINGLES
• In her first true collegiate singles match, Fielder suffered a 6-0, 6-0 shutout loss to Anderson on line six. That setback extended the Lopes' lead to 2-0.
• Bishard secured just a single game in her two-set loss to Weiss up on line three. The Aggies' third-flight player was defeated 6-1, 6-0.
• GCU clinched the match - and sole possession of the WAC's regular season title - when Gavino found herself on the wrong end of a 6-2, 6-3 decision against Occhipinti in flight two play.
• Nguyen gave herself a chance on line five, knotting the match at one set apiece with a 6-0 victory in the middle frame. Unfortunately, Prudhomme had the last laugh by winning set three to claim a 6-3, 0-6, 1-0 (5) victory.
• Both Kalaga and Challa played three-set matches, too. Just like Nguyen did down on line five, Kalaga tied things up at one set each with a win in set two. However, the Lopes got the job done in the deciding frame again as Lomas picked up a 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (7) win.
• Challa forced a third set in top-flight action, but fell 6-1, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (8) to Puehse.
COMING UP NEXT
• Beginning Friday, April 30, the Aggies will host the 2021 WAC Women's Tennis Tournament at the NM State Tennis Center. NM State will be the number two seed for the league's postseason tournament and will begin its run to a title Saturday, May 1, by taking on third-seeded UTRGV at 9:00 a.m.
++NM State++
