PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo women's tennis concluded it fall home dual schedule here Saturday by dropping a 4-3 back-and-forth hard-fought match to Fort Hays State at the Pueblo City Park Tennis Courts.
 
It was the third straight 4-3 loss to the Tigers for the ThunderWolves since the beginning of last season as the two teams met twice last season and are scheduled to face this coming spring season.
 
With the setback to Fort Hays State, the Pack fall to 0-3 on the season.
 
In Saturday's match against Fort Hays, which lasted nearly four hours, the two teams began with doubles and the Tigers would win the doubles point thanks to winning two of the three doubles matches in a tiebreaker.
 
The first doubles match that finished came at the No. 3 spot as the Pack's duo of fifth-year senior Sonrisa Bustamante (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo Central) and sophomore Yelena Travica (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Maples Collegiate) fell 7-6 (7-4) to FHSU's duo of Grace Unruh and Yone Pereiro.
 
FHSU (2-0) would earn the doubles point thanks to its 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot, but the Pack's No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Mariangel Nunez (Weston, Fla./ Unidad Educativa Padre Claret) and junior Margot Aebischer (Etupes, France/Eastern Arizona College) would battle with FHSU's No. 1 team of Shreethika Vangala and Janae Montoya to a 9-7 loss in a tiebreaker. Vangala and Montoya won the match, 7-6.
 
The Tigers would get their second win of the match at No. 1 singles as Nunez was forced to retire in the second set against Irina Alfonso due to a shoulder injury. Alfonso had won the first set, 6-2.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the match, the Pack would take a 3-2 lead in the match after picking up wins at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles.
 
The Pack's first win came at No. 3 singles as junior Valentina Brienza (Rionero in Vulture, Italy/University of District of Columbia) picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win over Pereiro.
 
Aebischer would give tie match at 2-2 thanks her win at No. 2 singles over Suzana Faucz as Aebischer won in a third set tiebreaker, 10-5. The two players split the first two sets as Aebischer won the first set, 6-2 and Faucz won 6-2 in the second set.
 
Senior Marta Garcia (Alcala de Hernares, Spain/Cardinal Stitch) gave the Pack a 3-2 lead following her win at No. 4 singles. Garcia won in straight sets over Unruh as she picked up wins of 6-3 and 7-5.
 
The Tigers, though, would tie the match at 3-all following its win at No. 5 singles as Ines Latorre picked up a 6-1, 6-1 win over Travica.
 
With the match tied, it all came down to the No. 6 singles match between Bustamante and FHSU's Bethan Gill. Gill would end picking up a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 6 singles to seal the Tigers' victory.
 
The Pack will return to action next weekend (Sept. 19-22) as they travel to Arlington, Texas, to compete in the ITA South Central Regional Championships.
 
Fort Hays State 4, CSU Pueblo 3
Singles Competition
No. 1 – Iriana Alfonso (FHSU) def. Mariangel Nunez (CSUP), 6-2, retired
No. 2 – Margot Aebischer (CSUP) def. Suzana Faucz (CSUP), 6-2, 2-6, 10-5
No. 3 – Valentina Brienza (CSUP) def. Yone Pereiro (FHSU), 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 – Marta Garcia (CSUP) def. Grace Unruh (FHSU), 6-3, 7-5
No. 5 – Ines Latorre (FHSU) def. Yelena Travica (CSUP), 6-1, 6-1
No. 6 – Bethan Gill (FHSU) def. Sonrisa Bustamante (CSUP), 6-0, 6-1
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6
 
Doubles Competition
No. 1 – Shreethika Vangala/Janae Montoya (FHSU) def. Nunez/Aebischer (CSUP), 7-6 (9-7)
No. 2 – Alfonso/Faucz (FHSU) def. Garcia/Brienza (CSUP), 6-4
No. 3 – Unruh/Pereiro (FHSU) def. Travica/Bustamante (CSUP), 7-6 (7-4)
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1