STERLING, Kan. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's tennis team finally tasted the thrill of victory here Thursday afternoon as the ThunderWolves posted a 6-1 win over Sterling College in a non-conference match at the SC Tennis Facility.
Thursday's victory was the first for the Pack since earning a 5-2 home victory on March 23, 2019, against New Mexico Military Institute. Since that win, the Pack had dropped 66 straight matches, including losing the first six matches this season.
After the win over New Mexico Military, the Pack closed the 2018-19 season by losing its final eight matches and then went 0-11 in 2019-20, 0-7 in the 2020-21, 0-11 in both 2021-22 and 2022-23, 0-12 in 2023-24 and had opened this season 0-6.
With the victory, the Pack improved to 1-6 on the season and 1-1 on its three-game Kansas road trip, while Sterling fell to 0-1 on the season. The Pack opened the road trip with a 5-2 loss Wednesday at Bethel (Kan.) College.
The Pack edged out Sterling with victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles sandwiched between a win by the Warriors at No. 2 doubles to earn the doubles points.
In doubles, junior
Margot Aebischer (Etupes, France/Eastern Arizona College) and sophomore
Yelena Travica (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Maples Collegiate) earned a 6-0 win at the No. 2 spot, before Sterling earned a 7-6 win at the No. 3 spot over the Pack's duo of freshman
MaKayla Martinez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo County) and senior
Malaya Pendon (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East).
The Pack would seal the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead in the match following a 7-6 win at No. 1 doubles by senior
Marta Garcia (Alcala de Hernares, Spain/Cardinal Stritch) and senior
Valentina Brienza (Rionero in Vulture, Italy/University of District of Columbia).
Entering singles play with a 1-0 lead, the Pack would claim the dual match win following straight set wins at No. 3, No. 2, and No. 1 singles.
Garcia posted a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 3 singles over Giovana Gaboardi to improve to 4-3 in singles this season. Aebischer earned a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles over Nadia Margaritov to improve to 2-5 this season in singles.
Brienza, who is now 3-2 on the season in singles, helped the Pack clinch its first win in nearly six years thanks to her 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles over Ana Alvarez.
With the dual win in hand, Travica gave the Pack its fourth win in singles following her 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 win at No. 4 singles over Hannah Giordanelli. Travica improved to 2-5 in singles this season.
The Pack collected its sixth and final win of the match at No. 5 singles as Pendon earned a 6-1, 6-0 win over Brooklyn Kuhn. The win was the first singles win this season for Pendon.
Sterling would prevent a shutout as Greta Fankhauser collected a 6-4, 7-6 win at No. 6 singles over Martinez.
The Pack will conclude its three-game road trip to Kansas with a 9 a.m. MT match in McPherson, Kan., against McPherson College.
