By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PUEBLO, Colo. – Fort Hays State Tennis finished 1-1 on Saturday (Sept. 16) in Colorado. After getting rained out for the first day of scheduled competition on Friday, the Tigers opened their Saturday with a hard-fought 4-3 win over CSU Pueblo before falling in their second contest of the day 6-1 to Colorado Mesa. FHSU is now 2-1 overall on the season.
Fort Hays State 4, CSU Pueblo 3
The Tigers picked up the crucial team point in doubles play before splitting singles contests to win by one. The match came down to the result of No. 6 singles, where Bethan Gill remained undefeated by posting a 6-1, 6-1 win over her opponent.
The Tigers swept doubles matches with the No. 1 team of Irina Alfonso and Fiorella Mendez and No. 2 team of Ines Latorre and Shreethika Vangala each winning by scores of 6-2 to clinch the team point. Grace Unruh and Gill added a third doubles win for good measure by winning a tiebreak 7-6 (7-2).
Alfonso (No. 1) and Unruh (No. 5) secured the first two team points in singles play with straight-set wins. Alfonso won 6-1, 6-3 and Unruh won 6-0, 6-1. Meanwhile the Thunderwolves picked up wins at No. 2, 3, and 4 to even the match. Gill pushed the Tigers back over the top with her straight-set win at No. 6. Vangala fell just short in a tiebreaking set of her No. 2 match, but forced the decisive set with a 6-4 second set win. Latorre generated four points within her No. 4 match and Mendez won three points within her No. 3 match.
Ines Steeman also played an exhibition singles match and won by a score of 7-5. Heidi Lubbers and Hope Lubbers fell in a tight exhibition doubles match, also by a score of 7-5.
Colorado Mesa 6, Fort Hays State 1
Grace Unruh kept FHSU from being swept in the second match of the day against Colorado Mesa. She won her No. 6 singles match 6-4, 6-2 to give the Tigers their lone point in a 6-1 loss. The Mavericks swept doubles play for their first team point and won the No. 1-5 singles matches for the victory.
At No. 2 doubles, Irina Alfonso and Fiorella Mendez fell just short in a tightly contested battle, needing a tiebreak to decide their match. The Mavericks took the tiebreak by a score of 7-5. Both the No. 1 team of Shreethika Vangala/Ines Latorre and the No. 3 team of Grace Unruh/Bethan Gill fell by scores of 6-1.
Aside from Unruh winning her singles match in straight sets, Latorre pushed her opponent to a tiebreaking set at the No. 4 position. After falling 6-2 in the first set, she bounced back for a 6-3 win in the second before falling in the tiebreak set 10-6. Gill was able to win three points in each set of her match at the No. 5 position. Vangala won three points within the second set of her No. 1 match and Alfonso won three points throughout her No. 2 match. Mendez picked up a pair of points in the first set of her No. 3 match.
Heidi Lubbers and Hope Lubbers each fell in exhibition singles matches, while Heidi Lubbers and Ines Steemandropped a doubles exhibition match.
Fort Hays State returns to action on Wednesday for its first home match of the season against Hastings College (Neb.). Action is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the FHSU Tennis Courts.