By Alex Diaz – (@DiazOnSports) Spear Reporter | Spartan players prepare for the next point during a match at the Spartan Tennis Complex. (Photo by Zoe Woodward–Spear Photographer)
Under the desert sun in Las Vegas, San Jose State women’s tennis battled through a tough Mountain West matchup but ultimately fell 4-0 to No. 62 UNLV on Friday morning at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The loss drops the Spartans to 7-12 overall and 0-9 in conference play, while the Rebels continue their strong season, improving to 15-3 and 8-1 in the Mountain West.
UNLV gained early control of the match by securing the doubles point, picking up wins on courts two and three.
The quick start gave the Rebels momentum heading into singles play and forced the Spartans into an uphill battle for the remainder of the match.
Despite the deficit, the Spartans showed resilience across multiple courts, with several players putting together competitive performances before play was cut short.
On court two, sophomore Emma Fantousis delivered one of the team’s strongest efforts of the day, taking the first set and putting herself in position to potentially even the match before her contest went unfinished.
Junior Duru Durgun also showcased her fight on court one, pushing her opening set to a tiebreak in a tightly contested battle that remained unresolved, as sophomore Cristina Mateos Losada’s match also went unfinished.
However, UNLV capitalized on its opportunities on the remaining courts to clinch the victory.
Sophomore Soledad Fayos Capilla fell 6-2, 6-1 on court three, while freshman Camila Celis dropped her match 6-3, 6-0.
Freshman Tara Mihaljevic was defeated 6-2, 6-2, sealing the match for the Rebels.
The Spartans will look to regroup as they return home to face Nevada on Sunday, April 12, at noon at the Spartan Tennis Complex.
