Wyoming Cowgirl tennis fell short Saturday in a 5-2 loss to the UC Irvine Anteaters (UCI) in Irvine, Calif.
The Cowgirls are now 5-6 overall for the spring season.
“We took major steps forward as a team this week,” said Wyoming head coach Dean Clower. “As a coaching staff, we are very pleased with how far we have come but know there’s a little bit more in us. We have worked out a lot of things in order to be ready for conference. The team will get a well-deserved day off tomorrow and be back to the grind on Monday.”
The Cowgirls fell behind in doubles, losing the first point of the day to UC Irvine who took two of the three matches.
Freshman Alena Vasileva and junior Silviya Zhelyazkova (1-0) won the only doubles for Wyoming against junior Kat Facey and sophomore Sarah Stadfelt 8-6.
Junior duo Alma Espinosa and Christa Gecheva (9-6) were unable to get a leg up on senior Brooke Schweyer and sophomore Sarah Gong, who won the first game for UC Irvine 8-4.
To take the doubles point, junior Ali Facey and senior Franziska Goettsching defeated Wyoming senior Veronica Popovici and freshman Dorottya Jonas 8-6.
In singles play, the Anteaters retained momentum, allowing Wyoming only two of the six matches.
Popovici (15-9) secured the first point for Wyoming, finishing her match first and defeating Sarah Gong 6-4, 6-2, tying UCI 1-1.
The next match to close was a point for the Anteaters. Kat Facey outgunned Zhelyazkova in a 7-6, 6-1 loss.
The last four matches were all played in sets of three. Ali Facey took Gecheva 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 putting UC Irvine up 3-1.
UC Irvine’s Brooke Schweyer made her first singles appearance in two years against junior Alma Espinosa after UCI’s Goettsching sustained an injury in doubles, removing her from the singles lineup. Schweyer beat Espinosa 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Jonas (13-14) took the second and final point for Wyoming against senior Marivick Mamiit in a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 win.
The final match of the day paired Stadfelt and Vasileva with UCI winning, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The Cowgirls will return to action Saturday in Boulder Colorado against the Tulane Green Wave (4-15). The match is set to begin at 10:00 a.m.
