PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's tennis team opened its 2025-26 dual schedule here Friday with a hard-fought 7-0 setback to Colorado Mesa at the Pueblo City Park Tennis Courts.

Friday's match was the first of three this weekend at home for the ThunderWolves as they host Fort Hays State on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8:30 a.m. and host Colorado College on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m.

In Friday's opening dual against the Mavericks (1-0), the teams began by playing doubles, and CMU would win all three matches to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

The first doubles match that was completed came at the No. 3 spot as junior Yelena Travica (Winnipeg, Manitoba/Maples Collegiate) and freshman Ainoha Salo (Barcelona, Spain/Escola Lleo XIII) fell 6-0 to CMU's duo of Valentina Gonzalez and Sophia Hartman.

At the No. 2 spot, senior Bella Hernandez (Rocklin, Calif./MSU Denver) and senior Laney Reddick (Sacramento, Calif./MSU Denver) won two games against Delia Maier and Catalina Ballon and fell 6-2, while the No. 1 team of senior Margot Aebischer (Etupes, France/Eastern Arizona) and freshman Fernanda Martinez (Queretaro, Mexico/International School of Gueretaro) fell 6-1 to CMU's top duo of Devyn Rodriguez and Jade Brilhante.

Once the doubles were concluded, the team turned its focus to singles. In singles action, the Pack won a total of 35 games, with one match going to a third set and another decided in a third-set tiebreaker.

Perhaps the match of the day came at No. 2 singles, and Martinez and Brilhante battled through a three-set marathon. Martinez won the first set, 6-3, before Brilhante rallied to win the second set, 6-1, to force a third set. In the third set, the two players went back and forth before Brilhante ultimately prevailed 6-4 in the set to earn a sixth point in the match.

At No. 6 singles, Salo and Hartman also needed a tie-breaking third set as Hartman opened with a 6-1 win in the opening set, before Salo collected a 6-4 win in the second set. In the third-set tiebreaker, Hartman would earn a 10-7 win to earn the seventh and final point for the Mavs.

Leading 1-0, CMU would take a 2-0 lead in the match following Gonzalez's straight set win (6-2, 6-2) at No. 3 singles over Hernandez and earned its third win in the match with Ballon's 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles over Reddick.
The Mavs would seal the match win with Rodriguez's 6-3, 6-3 win at the No. 1 spot over Aebischer.

CMU won its fifth point of the match at No. 5 singles as Maier collected a straight set (6-1, 6-2) win over Travica.

Colorado Mesa 7, CSU Pueblo 0
Singles Competition
No. 1 – Devyn Rodriguez (CMU) def. Margot Aebischer (CSUP), 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Jade Brilhante (CMU) def. Fernanda Martinez (CSUP), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 – Valentina Gonzalez (CMU) def. Bella Hernandez (CSUP), 6-2, 6-2
No. 4 – Catalina Ballon (CMU) def. Laney Reddick (CSUP), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 – Delia Maier (CMU) def. Yelena Travica (CSUP), 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 – Sophie Hartman (CMU) def. Ainola Salo (CSUP), 6-1, 4-6, 10-7
Order of finish: 3, 4, 1, 5, 6, 2
 
Doubles Competition
No. 1 – Rodriguez/Brilhante (CMU) def. Aebischer/Martinez (CSUP), 6-1
No. 2 – Maier/Ballon (CMU) def. Hernandez/Reddick (CSUP), 6-2
No. 3 – Gonzalez/Hartman (CMU) def. Travica/Salo (CSUP), 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 2, 10