SAN ANTONIO - The NM State women's tennis team won the doubles point, but host UTSA won five of six singles matches to secure a 5-2 non-conference win over the Aggies Friday at the UTSA Tennis Center.
DOUBLES
• Miranda Bishard and Bella Nguyen made it 7-3 in their last 10 doubles matches by securing a strong 6-1 victory over the likes of Eve Beyebach and Alexandra Weir.
• Gavi Kalaga and Natsuki Nishimura couldn't get enough games to their credit in line two action and UTSA pulled even thanks to Stanislava Bobrobnikova and Alexsandra Zlatarova's 6-4 win.
• Turning to their top-flight singles tandem, the Aggies were able to get the job done. Chloe Gavino and Lisa Zhu pushed their team-best doubles record to 11-2 by way of a 6-4 victory over Sophie Omoworare and Jasmin Starr.
SINGLES
• With just five players to their credit in one-on-one action, the Roadrunners fell behind 2-0 after Bishard claimed a walkover win on line six.
• NM State's lead, though, was not safe as the hosts started their comeback bid with a top-flight victory. Gavino couldn't extend her team's lead and fell 7-5, 6-2 to Zlatarova.
• UTSA tied things up by making all the right moves down the stretch in flight three action. Nishimura and Weir were locked in a fierce battle, but at the end the Roadrunners' competitor emerged with a hard-fought 7-6, 7-5 win to knot things up at two points apiece.
• Bobrtovnikova put UTSA on the cusp of victory thanks to her 7-6, 6-3 win on line four.
• Needing a win to extend the possibility of a team victory, NM State seemed poised to get that win in flight two action. Zhu started out strong with a win in the first set, but Starr bounced back in a big way and claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 win to clinch the match for UTSA.
• Nguyen forced a third set in her fifth-flight fracas with Beyebach, but wound up on the wrong end of of a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 battle to close out the match.
COMING UP NEXT
• Though the Aggies will stay in the Lone Star State, their next match will take place much closer to the Land of Enchantment. NM State takes on UTEP at the El Paso Tennis Center Sunday at noon.
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