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EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP tennis team (3-6) will return to the courts this weekend with regional road matches at Wyoming (11 a.m. MT Saturday) and at Colorado State (8 a.m. MT Sunday).
The Miners enter with momentum, having gone 2-1 during a three-match homestand to close out February on a high note. In order to continue their winning ways the Orange and Blue will have to be in top form, with both the Cowgirls (5-5) and Rams (5-3) in the midst of solid seasons.
"After a good weekend at home, we are looking forward to playing again," UTEP head coach
Ivan Fernandez said. "We are coming in with confidence. These are two good regional match-ups. It will be good to see how we compete with them."
Freshman
Kirsten Prelle has set the tone at the top of the line-up, winning five consecutive matches at No. 1 singles. Overall Prelle enters this weekend at 15-5 overall, including 6-2 in dual play. Sophomore
Erandi Martinez has also found a groove. She is riding a three-match unbeaten streak at No. 3 singles. The effort has moved her to 5-2 in dual competition and 9-10 overall.
Senior Yvette Van Oijen, who clinched UTEP's victory against UTSA (Feb. 22), has a trio of wins during the spring season. Freshmen
Rine Nozaki and
Kathleen Percegona also have three dual wins while transfer
Vanessa Valdez has a pair. Percegona tasted victory last time out at the No. 5 slot.
Prelle and Percegona have forged a record of 4-2 while playing primarily at No. 1 doubles. Valdez and Van Oijen stand 5-3 in doubles (1-0 at No. 1, 4-3 at No. 2) while Martinez and Nozaki are 3-5 at No. 3 doubles.
The Orange and Blue are in search of their first win outside of El Paso on the year (0-3 road, 0-2 neutral site). In their most-recent opportunity to win away from home, they were edged by Youngstown State, 4-3.
UTEP will be locking up with Wyoming for the third consecutive campaign. Last year the Cowgirls bested the Miners in El Paso, 4-1 (March 4, 2017). Overall UTEP leads the series, 6-5, but Wyoming has claimed the past two tilts. UTEP has an 11-6 advantage in the series with CSU, but the two programs are squaring off the for the first time since a 4-3 Miner victory in the 2012-13 season (March 3, 2013).
There will be live stats available for both matches at the following links:
UTEP at Wyoming:
http://www.sidearmstats.com/wyoming/wten/xlive.htm
UTEP at Colorado State:
https://csurams.com/sports/2018/2/26/tennis-live-stats.aspx
