LAS CRUCES, N.M. – NM State returned home after a weekend away and remained perfect against WAC opponents on their home courts as they defeated Sam Houston 6-1 on Friday morning.
 
After coming up just a hair short in doubles play, the Aggie squad more than made up for it as not a single NM State player fell in singles action to help the Aggies move to 3-2 in league play this season.
 
DOUBLES

• The dominant senior duo of Miranda Bishard and Bella Nguyen teamed up once again and gave the Aggies their first set victory of the day as they took down Sam Houston's Vianne Schwab and Linn Svaerd 6-4 on line two.
• However, the two other Aggie tandems fell in narrow contests to allow Sam Houston the chance to enter singles play with a 1-0 lead.

SINGLES

• Nguyen's strong play in doubles carried over to singles as she breezed to a 6-0, 6-3 win to remain perfect at the No. 5 spot this season (2-0) while evening the match at one point per side.
• Bishard also maintained her perfect day, securing a 6-3, 6-4 win over Vianne Schwab at the No. 4 spot.
• Anna Pinaieva was on the wrong end of a tight 6-7 (7-9) loss alongside Lisa Zhu in doubles play. Sam Houston's Paula Cerda would catch the brunt of Pinaieva's frustration as the freshman took down the Bearkat's top singles play 6-0, 6-1.
• Like Pinaieva, Zhu also channeled her energy to beating her singles opponent as she took down Anastasia Khokhlova 7-5, 6-0 at the No. 2 position.
• Over on line six, Dora Kurdi collected her fourth singles win of the season as she topped McKenzy Byfield 6-4, 6-0.
• Valeriia Ivanovskaia closed the day with a dramatic finish in the 10-point tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets against Sahithi Vutukuru. Ivanovskaia ultimately won the match 6-2, 6-7 (11-13), 10-7.

UP NEXT
NM State will continue its weekend homestand this Sunday as they play host to Stephen F. Austin. The match versus the Lumberjacks is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the NM State Tennis Center.