The University of Wyoming tennis team came back from a deficit Sunday against Utah State to cap off their season with seven straight wins.
The seven-game streak is good for tying the third longest winning streak in program history.
“The team improved tremendously over the past six weeks and the results showed,” UW coach Dean Clower said in a news release. “(Sunday) was a typical Utah State and Wyoming battle, where it didn’t matter who played, what mattered was the fight of the teams. I’m proud of this team and having everyone back for the next two years bodes well for the future of the program.”
“Our season is ending earlier than we’d like, but the momentum we’re carrying into the future is encouraging,” Clower said to the Branding Iron.
The Cowgirls stand with a 13-6 overall record this season with a 7-2 Mountain West conference record.
The Cowgirls finish the season in third place for the Mountain West. UW ended up behind Fresno State (15-2, 8-2) and UNLV (12-6, 8-2) who tied for second. San Jose State (15-1, 8-1) won the Mountain West championship and has received an automatic vid for the NCAA tournament.
The Cowgirls beat both the Fresno State Bulldogs and UNLV Lady Rebels earlier this season, but played one less conference match than either of the two. The Cowgirls’ match versus the Colorado State Rams was canceled earlier this season due to COVID-19 protocols in place at CSU.
The UW team held their win streak over teams like Air Force, Boise State, and now Utah State to cap off their season.
Utah state (7-13, 2-8) took an early lead by securing the doubles point. An event where both teams have two players on their side of the court saw the UW tandem of Noesjka Brink and Maria Oreshkina win only one of the double sets.
However, the Cowgirls would win the majority of the singles matches to end up with a 4-3 victory over Utah state.
Looking ahead to the offseason, the players are excited to continue to build their relationship with each other and the unique team dynamic as a whole.
The University of Wyoming’s tennis team sees seven of its eight athletes coming from Europe. Including six different countries: the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, and Russia.
“Your teammates are from all over the world. No one’s like you,” junior Ida Krause said, who was born and raised in Denmark.
Krause said there were times in her freshman year where she was concerned she had not made the right decision coming to Wyoming.
“The amount of tears I cried my first semester is insane,” Krause said.
This unique blend of athletes and backgrounds has created fun and meaningful team relations according to junior Mihaela Kaftanova.
“The whole team spirit is different, like playing for each other, and not only for yourself,” said Kaftanova, who is a native of Bulgaria. “You can feel the support from everyone. You’re not alone.”
The Cowgirls take the winning streak and the team dynamic into the offseason with hopes of coming back next year to reclaim Mountain West gold.
