OGDEN, Utah— The Colorado Mesa University women's tennis team took on a difficult challenge on Friday afternoon as they began the spring season with an exhibition match at NCAA Division I Weber State University here in the Odgen Athletic Club.
 
The Wildcats, who were picked second out of 11 teams in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after going 16-8 in 2019, swept the day to win the dual 7-0 as they improved to 1-1 on the young season as Friday's result counts for hosts' record.
 
The Mavericks' best efforts came at the top of the singles order as Kristen Kirby and Laura Alsing came up just short against the Wildcats' top two players in the final two matches.  Kirby lost 6-4 in both sets of her No. 1 match against Megan Lombardi, who went 20-3 last year, before Alsing forced Pei-Hsuan Kuo to a second-tiebreaker at No. 2 before succumbing 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

"Kristen and Laura played well and I was happy with the energy and effort," Maverick Coach Dan MacDonald said.
 
The Mavericks, who went 4-3 in the fall portion of the season, will play their official spring opener on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. when they face Lewis-Clark State in a neutral-court match-up in Pocatello, Idaho.