LAS VEGAS- It was a hard fought battle on the courts for the Fresno State women's tennis team, as they fell to No. 10 Utah State in the opening round of the Mountain West Championships at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, 4-2.
Senior Carolina Piferi concludes her season just shy of 20 wins at 19-4 and goes undefeated against conference opponents holding a tremendous 9-0 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Entering with the same doubles lineup as the last match at No. 1 Matilde Magrini and Misaki Kobayashi (4-8), at No. 2 Carolina Piferi and Eliza Dunbar (8-5), No. 3 Charlotte Gisclon and Mariya Vyshkina (0-4).
Aggies seized the doubles point first on court three defeating Gisclon and Vyshkina, 6-1. Court two was right behind as Bulldogs pair Dunbar/Piferi saw their sixth loss to the season falling 6-4 to Utah State. Magrin and Kobayashi match on court one goes unfinished at 5-5.
Fresno State grabbed their first point from none other than the senior Piferi on court three. Piferi defeated Kukreti in just over an hour 6-1, 6-2. For a quick lead, Gisclon came up next for points on court four. Gisclon defeated Nunez Pureco 6-2, 6-4.
Utah State grasped the remaining points in the last three matches. Vyshkina fell to Nespor (6-3, 6-1), Magrini fell to Ozturk (6-3, 6-4). Kobayashi was playing for a second set tiebreak win, looking for another chance to grab points. Aggies' Kung saw the best of the tiebreaker defeating Kobayashi 6-1, 7-5.
NOTABLE
Fresno State finishes the season with a 10-13, 4-5 MW record
Two Bulldogs scored points in the opening round; Carolina Piferi (No.3) and Charlotte Gisclon (No. 4)
Carolina Piferi closes the season on 19 singles wins, ten consecutive singles wins, ten doubles wins and a 9-0 MW record
Charlotte Gisclon marks her eighth singles win this season
For the fourth time in program history a lower seed has defeated Fresno State in the first match played
For the second time in program history Fresno State is eliminated in the first round of the Mountain West Championships
RESULTS
Utah State 4, Fresno State 2
Order of finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1) Singles (3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 6)