By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
PUEBLO, Colo. – Fort Hays State Tennis played three matches in Colorado over the weekend (Sept. 13-14) against a trio of opponents from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Tigers pulled out a 4-3 win over CSU-Pueblo, but fell 5-2 to both MSU Denver and Colorado Mesa. Irina Alfonso led the Tigers with four total wins over the weekend in singles and doubles combined.
MSU Denver 5, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State dropped a very competitive matchup with MSU Denver on Friday night. Out of three matches that went to a third and decisive set in singles, two went the way of the Roadrunners, otherwise the Tigers could have swung the result to 4-3 in their favor.
MSU Denver picked up their first point by claiming two of three doubles matches. The No. 2 Tiger team of Irina Alfonso and Suzana Faucz won their match 6-4, but the Roadrunners won the No. 1 match 6-2 and the No. 3 match 6-4.
Shreethika Vangala was the Tiger victorious in a three-set singles match, winning the No. 1 match 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7). Ines Latorre won the No. 6 match in straight sets, but had to fend off her opponent in a first-set tiebreak. Alfonso came up three points short in her three-set contest at No. 2 and Faucz was four points short in her three-set contest at No. 3. Yone Pereiro (No. 4) and Grace Unruh (No. 5) fell in straight sets.
Fort Hays State 4, CSU-Pueblo 3
Fort Hays State held off CSU-Pueblo in its first Saturday contest, winning the doubles point and then splitting singles contests for a 4-3 win. The Tigers breezed to victory in the pair of singles matches that decided the team result.
The Tigers won all three doubles contests, but all were tight. Two of the three went to tiebreaks and the other contest finished 6-4. The No. 1 team of Shreethika Vangala and Janae Montoya and No. 3 team of Grace Unruh and Yone Pereiro each won their matches 7-6. The No. 1 match tiebreak ended 9-7 in favor of Vangala and Montoya, while the No. 3 tiebreak was 7-4 in favor of Unruh and Pereiro. The No. 2 team of Irina Alfonsoand Suzana Faucz avoided a tiebreak.
Only one singles match went to a decisive third set, which went the way of the Thunderwolves. Alfonso was up a set in her No. 1 match before her opponent retired from the match due to injury. Down 3-2 in the team score, Ines Latorre (No. 5) breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 win and Bethan Gill (No. 6) blitzed her way to a 6-0, 6-1 win to push the Tigers over the top in team score 4-3.
Colorado Mesa 5, Fort Hays State 2
Fort Hays State was victorious in two singles matches to generate its two points against Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks swept doubles play for their first team point and picked up three of their four wins in singles in straight sets. Both of FHSU’s singles wins were in straight sets.
The Tigers won four games within the doubles matches as the No. 2 team of Irina Alfonso/Suzana Faucz and the No. 3 team of Grace Unruh/Yone Pereiro each fell 6-2.
Alfonso (No. 2) and Unruh (No. 6) were victorious in singles matches. Alfonso won her match 6-4, 6-4, and Unruh won her match 6-3, 6-3. Faucz (No. 3) had her match go to a third-set and she came up five points short in the battle to 10.
Fort Hays State will play its first home match of the season on Tuesday (Sept. 17) when Hastings College comes to Hays. The match is set for 1 p.m. at the FHSU Tennis Courts.