By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PUEBLO, Colo. – Fort Hays State Tennis started its season 1-2 in its three matches against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams in Pueblo, spanning the course of two days (Sept. 16-17). The Tigers knocked off weekend host CSU-Pueblo 7-0, but fell short to MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa.
MSU Denver 7, Fort Hays State 0
Fort Hays State played tough in a pair of doubles matches, its closest at the No. 3 position as Stefany Stemmer and Grace Unruh fell by a score of 7-5. However, the Roadrunners swept doubles play to earn the first team point of the match.
MSU Denver went on to win all six singles matches contested for team points. Irina Alfonso nearly kept the Roadrunners from a sweep at the No. 1 position as she went to a third-set tiebreak. However, Isabel Heras would complete a comeback after being down a set by winning the tiebreak 11-9 over Alfonso. Stemmer (No. 2) and Paz Diaz (No. 3) each notched six game points within their matches, while Fiorella Mendez (No. 4) generated two. Hope Lubbers also played an exhibition singles contest, but came up short.
Fort Hays State 7, CSU-Pueblo 0
After finishing a late Friday-night contest with MSU Denver, the Tigers blitzed through host CSU-Pueblo on Saturday morning. The Tigers surrendered only two game points in doubles play and breezed through singles play with all players winning in straight sets.
In doubles action, Stefany Stemmer and Grace Unruh blanked their opponent 6-0 at the No. 2 position. The No. 1 team of Irina Alfonso and Maria Paz Diaz and the No. 3 team of Fiorella Mendez and Heidi Lubbers each knocked of their opponents 6-1.
Stemmer (No. 2) and Paz Diaz (No. 3) posted straight-set shutouts of their singles counterparts. Alfonso (No. 1) and Mendez (No. 4) each won their contests 6-1, 6-1. Hope Lubbers (No. 5) already had a set in hand by a score of 7-5 before her opponent had to retire from the match due to injury in the second set. Grace Unruh (No. 6) picked up her first collegiate win by scores of 6-2, 6-2.
Colorado Mesa 6, Fort Hays State 1
Colorado Mesa secured the first team point of the Saturday afternoon contest with Fort Hays State by winning all three doubles contests. Just like the first match with MSU Denver, the No. 3 team of Stefany Stemmer and Grace Unruh fell 7-5 in the closest doubles contest.
Maria Paz Diaz scored the only Tiger team point by winning her No. 3 singles match in straight sets. She needed a second-set tiebreak to get the job done, but won by scores of 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).
Irina Alfonso (No. 1), was just a couple of points short of a three-set win, but saw her opponent rally all the way back from a one-set deficit to win a third-set tiebreak 10-8. Alfonso took the first set 6-1, but lost the second 6-0 before ultimately falling in the tiebreak. Grace Unruh also dropped a third-set tiebreak at the No. 6 position. She won the first set 6-1 before dropping the second 6-4 and then coming up short in the tiebreak 10-6.
Stefany Stemmer (No. 2) won six game points within her match, while Heidi Lubbers (No. 5) won five. Fiorella Mendez (No. 4) won four game points within her match. Gracen Friess and Hope Lubbers each lost exhibition singles contests.
Fort Hays State will play its first home match of the season on Tuesday (Sept. 20) against Sterling College at the FHSU Tennis Courts in Hays at 1 p.m.