COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- Playing their first dual matches of the season, the Colorado Mesa University women's tennis team picked up their first wins of the season as they triumphed over the Tigers of Fort Hays State 4-3 and Colorado College 5-2.
Match 1 vs Fort Hays State
It was a tricky start for the Mavs at doubles as Sophie Hartman and Luciana Del Carlo won at the three spot 6-1 but Devyn Rodriguez and Valentina Gonzalez lost at the one spot, placing two doubles as the point-deciding match. However, the duo of Catalina Ballon and Eva Muraske made quick work of their opponents, winning 6-2 to award the Mavs a 1-0 lead.
Singles started great for the Mavs as Gonzalez won at three singles 6-1, 6-1. But while Muraske managed to win the first set 6-3, she came up short in the second and the third-set tiebreaker.
On the other hand, Ruby Robbins continued her good form from the CC Invite as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 victory at the six spot.
The Mavs needed one more to officially clinch the match and they got it from Rodriguez, who won at the one singles spot 6-2, 6-4 to clinch the match for the Mavs. Ballon and Hartman continued their matches but both fell short in third-set tiebreakers.
This win marked their 12th straight win against the Tigers.
Match 2 vs Colorado College
Head Coach Dan MacDonald rolled out the same lineup for the latter match, where doubles ended up being much easier for the Mavs they swept doubles against the Tigers for the first time since 2024.
Ballon bounced back after a tough loss as she won 6-1, 6-1 to extend the lead to two. Although, it was not all smooth sailing as the match quickly turned into a barn-burner.
Similar to her first match, Muraske won the first set at two singles but wasn't able to come through as she fell in another brutal third-set tiebreaker.
Robbins found herself down a set but stayed poised and dominated the second set 6-0. She battled her way through the third-set tiebreak but fell short 14-12. With the match at 2-2, the Mavs needed to find a spark and they once again found it at one singles.
Once again, Rodriguez delivered the goods as she beat reigning SCAC Player of the Year Aspen Young 7-5, 6-4 to give the Mavs the 3-2 lead.
With the Mavs needing one more match to clinch, it came down to the three and five spots where Gonzalez and Hartman found themselves down a set.
Gonzalez won the second set 6-3 to send the match to a crucial tiebreaker. After some back and forth, Gonzalez broke through as she won 10-5 to give the Mavs the win.
Hartman continued her match and she managed to do the same as she won the second set 6-1 and cruised through the tiebreaker, winning 10-1 to wrap up an undefeated day for the Mavs.
Final Stats
Overall, the Mavs went 7-5 in singles and 5-1 in doubles. The duos of Muraske/Ballon and Del Carlo/Hartman went undefeated on the day alongside Rodriguez and Gonzalez in singles. The Mavs conclude their dual match portion of the fall and won't play another dual match until 2027.
Next Time Out
The women will travel with the men to play in the annual ITA West Regional Championships in Fresno, Calif. Matches will begin Oct 15.
