University of Oregon
UNLV
Ducks Top Rebels in Dual Opener
01/25/15 | Women's Tennis
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – With a clean slate to start the dual season, the Oregon women's tennis team came out focused and determined in its dual opener. The Ducks battled for the doubles point and clinched the match behind freshman Alyssa Tobita to defeat UNLV 6-1 on Saturday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
How It Happened: The Ducks came out poised and ready to play Saturday as they easily dispatched the Rebels. The freshmen pair of Nia Rose and Tobita continued their dominance at the No. 1 doubles slot with a 6-4 win over Santa Shumilina and Anett Ferenczi-Bako. The Rebels tied things up at 1-1 in doubles action after Iren Kotseva and Alexis Garrett downed Lina Åkesson and Kadie Hueffner, 6-4.
Playing in the No. 2 slot, Nicole Long and Marlou Kluiving were able to hold off UNLV's Paola Artiga and Mercedes Lopez Valez and seal the doubles point with a 7-5 victory.
In singles action, Åkesson didn't let the loss in her doubles match affect her. The sophomore came out firing on all cylinders with a convincing 6-3, 6-3 win over Bojana Petrovic to give UO its second point. Long quickly finished after her with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Ferenczi Bako at the No. 2 singles position.
With a dominant 6-0 win in the first set, Tobita saw Kotseva take the second set to force a third. The freshman, however, didn't let her nerves get the best of her and finished off Kotseva, 6-3, to win the final set and clinch the match for Oregon.
UNLV's lone point came in at the No. 6 singles position when Lopez Valez defeated Allie Hueffner in a tooth and nail battle, 6-4, 7-5.
Like her doubles partner, Rose also won her first dual match but not without a hard fight from Shumilina. Rose barely took the first set 7-6 before Shumilina took the second set 6-4. However, Rose pulled out the win after taking the tie-breaker 10-8.
Kluiving was the last to wrap up her match and gave Oregon its sixth point after downing Artiga 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.
What It Means: The Ducks opened the dual season with a win for the seventh-straight season. The Ducks last lost their dual opener on Jan. 25, 2008, to Utah 5-2. Oregon now heads home for a four match homestand, starting with Minnesota at 11 a.m. on Jan. 31 at the Student Tennis Center.
By The Numbers: Rose and Tobita are now 13-4 in doubles action…With the win, Kluiving is now one win shy (9-2) of being the first Duck to reach double digit wins in singles play this season…First-year head coach Alison Silverio picked up her first-career victory at the helm…The last time UO beat UNLV during the dual season was back in 2002 when the Ducks came out victorious over the 18th-ranked Rebels, 4-2.
Quotable: “We attacked today with a unified mentality. We were relentless with the intangibles and kept our composure in tight situations. The win is nice and helps to build confidence, but more importantly, and what I am most proud of is how this team battled together from start to finish.” – UO head coach Silverio.
Up Next: The Ducks now return home and look to build on their win at UNLV when they entertain Minnesota in their home-opener at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, at noon.
Oregon 6 – UNLV 1
Jan. 24, 2015 at Las Vegas, Nev.
Fertitta Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. Tobita/Rose (ORE) def. Shumilina/Ferenczi-Bako (UNLV) 6-4
2. Long/Kluving (ORE) def. Artiga/Lopez Valez (UNLV) 7-5
3. Kotseva/Garrett (UNLV) def. Åkesson/Hueffner (ORE) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Nia Rose (ORE) def. Santa Shumilina (UNLV) 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8)
2. Nicole Long (ORE) def. Anett Ferenczi-Bako (UNLV) 6-2, 6-3
3. Alyssa Tobita (ORE) def. Iren Kotseva (UNLV) 6-0, 2-6, 6-3
4. Marlou Kluiving (ORE) def. Paola Artiga (UNLV) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
5. Lina Åkesson (ORE) def. Bojana Petrovic (UNLV) 6-3, 6-3
6. Mercedes Lopez Valez (UNLV) def. Allie Hueffner (ORE) 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 6, 1, 4
Players Mentioned
