LIBERAL, Kan. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's tennis team began its spring break trip here Sunday afternoon with by playing an exhibition match against Seward County Community College at Blue Bonnet Park.
Sunday's match, which was the first of four on its spring break trip, fell 5-0 to the Saints in the match that did not count on the team's record.
The weather interrupted Sunday's match as the singles matches at No. 5 and No. 6 were unable to be finished due to rain that hit the Liberal area. Those two matches were in the second set after the Saints had won the first set by scores of 6-3 and 6-4 respectively.
Sunday's match began with doubles and SCCC won all three doubles matches to earn the point and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
In doubles, CSU Pueblo's No. 1 team of sophomore
Margot Aebischer (Etupes, France/Eastern Arizona College) and freshman
Mariangel Nunez (Weston, Fla./Unidad Educativa "Padre Claret") battled hard against Emma Petton and Polya Nikolova before falling 7-5.
At the No. 2 spot, junior
Malaya Pendon (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East) teamed with freshman
Yelena Travica (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Maples Collegiate) fell 6-1 to SCCC's Lara Torres and Camila Corrales.
SCCC also won 6-0 at the No. 3 doubles spot over CSU Pueblo's duo of junior
Valentina Brienza (Rionero in Vulture, Italy/University of District Columbia) and junior
Marta Garcia (Alcala de Hernares, Spain/Cardinal Stritch).
Following doubles play, the teams turned their attention to singles action.
In singles, the Pack forced tiebreakers in first set at both No. 2 and No. 3 singles, but the Saints would ultimately win the four singles matches that were completed.
SCCC picked up its second point of the match at No. 1 singles as Aebischer fell 6-2, 6-0 to Petton, while Isabella Serrano picked up back-to-back 6-0 wins at No. 4 singles over Garcia.
At No. 2 singles, Brienza and Nikolova battled in the opening set as Nikolova won 7-6 (7-4) and then earned a 6-1 win in the second set.
Meanwhile, at the No. 3 singles spot, Nunez and Alejandra Ramirez Botella battled to a tiebreaker in the opening set as Botella won 7-6 (7-4) and then earned a 7-5 win in the second set.
The Pack will continue its spring break trip with a 2 p.m. exhibition match on Monday, March 25 in Plano, Texas, against Collin County Community College, before concluding the trip with matches on Tuesday, March 26 at Dallas Baptist at 9 a.m. and at Midwestern State for 2 p.m. match.
