PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's tennis team opened its 2023-24 dual meet schedule here Thursday with a 6-1 setback to Nebraska-Kearney at the Pueblo City Park Tennis Courts.
Thursday's match was the first of three this weekend at home for the ThunderWolves as they host to Lubbock Christian later in the day on Thursday and will face Fort Hays State on Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
Five of the six players that played on Thursday were new players this season for the Pack as they feature a roster with nine players, including three returners that played last season.
In Thursday's opener, the teams began by playing singles and the Pack collected its lone win of the match at No. 3 singles as freshman
Mariangel Nunez (Weston, Fla./Unidad Educativa Padre Claret) picked up a win in a third-set tiebreaker over UNK's Julia Wartecka. In the match, Wartecka picked up a 7-6 (7-5) win in the first set, before Nunez battled back to earn a 6-3 in the second set to force a third-set tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Nunez picked up a 10-7 win to seal her victory.
"Mariangel (Nunez) turned in a standout performance today for us. She showed great strength and maturity to the start of the season," CSU Pueblo head coach
Beau Fresquez said. "I forward to seeing what she can produce in the future."
UNK would pick singles at the other five spots to take a 5-1 lead in the match.
In addition to Nunez, junior
Valentina Brienza (Rionero in Vulture, Italy/University of the District of Columbia) battled at the No. 4 spot against Marsha Hatouka. Hatouka earned a 7-5 win in the first set, before Hatouka picked up a 6-2 win in the second set.
The Pack would win just five games in the other four singles matches against the Lopers.
Following singles play, the teams played doubles to conclude the match.
In doubles, UNK won by 6-1 scores at both No. 1 and No. 2, while earning a 6-0 win at the No. 3 spot.
The Pack will continue its weekend play by hosting Lubbock Christian later in the evening on Thursday. The match was originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15 at 8 a.m., but a forecast of rain in the area forced the change in schedule.
No. 1 – Jazmin Zamorano (UNK) def.
Marta Garcia (CSUP), 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 – Narindra Ranaivo (UNK) def.
Margot Aebischer (CSUP), 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 –
Mariangel Nunez (CSUP) def. Julia Wartecka (UNK), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 10-7
No. 4 – Marsha Hatouka (UNK) def.
Valentina Brienza (CSUP), 7-5, 6-2
No. 5 – Alexis Bernthal (UNK) def.
Yelena Travica (CSUP), 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 – Fabiana Gamboa (UNK) def.
Malaya Pendon (CSUP), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles Competition
No. 1 – Bernthal/ Gamboa (UNK) def. Nunez/ Garcia (CSUP), 6-1
No. 2 – Becerra/Ranaivo (UNK) def. Brienza/ Aebischer (CSUP), 6-1
No. 3 –Zamorano/Hatoula (UNK) def. Pendon/ Travica (CSUP), 6-0
