RUSTON, La. – The UTEP tennis team fell to No. 64 LA Tech, 4-0, before recovering with less than an hour between matches to blast Grambling State, 4-0, in a busy slate of action Saturday.
 
The Miners (5-11) were originally slated to play GSU (3-9) on Sunday, but it was moved to Saturday due to a lack of availability of officials. The Orange and Blue handled the heavy workload with ease, quickly putting the setback to the Lady Techsters (17-4, 2-0 C-USA) in the rearview mirror by sweeping Grambling State. UTEP is now 3-2 over the last five matches, finally reaping the rewards of year-long hard work.
 
"We won the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles (against Grambling) to clinch the point," UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. "Lotti (Mencaglia), Ele (Dibattista) and Eve (Daniels) got our three singles points to win the match. It was tough playing a second match with only an hour break, but I'm proud of them for keeping their focus to get it done."
 
UTEP burst out of the gates in doubles, with Zuzanna Szczepanska and Dibattista besting Jovana Latinovich and Itzel Hernandez, 6-2, at No. 2 doubles. Mencaglia and Daniels made quick work of Claire Machisa and Georgina Kaindoah, 6-1, at No. 3 doubles. The Miners were leading at No. 1 doubles when it went unfinished.
 
Mencaglia cruised past Takudzwa Mawisire, 6-2, 6-0, at No. 2 singles while Dibattista blasted Ntuli, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 5 singles. Daniels also got in on the fun with a 6-1, 6-1, dispatching of Machisa at No. 6 singles. The Orange and Blue were ahead in two of the other three singles matches when they were halted with the team outcome decided.
 
Earlier in the day, UTEP fell to nationally-ranked LA Tech. The home side took the doubles point, with Dibattista and Szczepanksa coming up short to Olga Bienzobas and Alexia Romero, 6-2, at No. 2 doubles. Daniels and Mencaglia were dropped, 6-0, by Leonie Schuknecht and Ilana Tetruashvili at No. 3 doubles. The action at No. 1 doubles did not finish.
 
Lebisova came up short against Schuknecht, 6-0, 7-5, at the top slot while Mencaglia was upended, 6-0, 6-2, by Bienzobas at No. 2 singles. Szczepanska fell to Najah Dawson in a tight match at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-3. The remaining three singles matches were halted, as the Miners had to make a quick turnaround to battle Grambling State.
 
"We played well on a few of the courts but not consistently enough to make it a closer match," Fernandez said. "This was a great learning experience to play against a LA Tech team that played with a lot of confidence."
 
The Miners will wrap up the regular season with a pair of league road matches, facing WKU (April 15) and Middle Tennessee (April 16).
                                                                                                  
Tennis Match Results
UTEP vs Louisiana Tech
4/8/2023 at Ruston, La.
(LA Tech Tennis Complex)
#64 Louisiana Tech 4, UTEP 0
 
Singles competition
1. Leonie Schuknecht (TECH) def. Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) 6-0, 7-5
2. Olga Bienzobas (TECH) def. Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) 6-0, 6-2
3. Najah Dawson (TECH) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) 6-4, 6-3
4. Tiffani Nash (TECH) vs. Thassane Abrahim (UTEP) 7-5, unfinished
5. Ana Rodrigues (TECH) vs. Elena Dibattista (UTEP) 6-1, 3-3, unfinished
6. Alexia Romero (TECH) vs. Eve Daniels (UTEP) 7-5, 1-2, unfinished
 
Doubles competition
1. Najah Dawson/Ana Rodrigues (TECH) vs. Thassane Abrahim/Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) 2-4, unfinished
2. Olga Bienzobas/Alexia Romero (TECH) def. Elena Dibattista/Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) 6-2
3. Leonie Schuknecht/Ilana Tetruashvili (TECH) def. Eve Daniels/Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) 6-0
 
Match Notes:
UTEP 4-11 (1-2 C-USA)
Louisiana Tech 17-4 (2-0 C-USA); National ranking #64
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,1,3)
 
Tennis Match Results
Grambling State vs UTEP
Apr 08, 2023 at Ruston, La.
UTEP 4, Grambling State 0
Singles competition
1. Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) vs. Itzel Hernandez (GSU) 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
2. Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) def. Takudzwa Mawisire (GSU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) vs. Georgina Kaindoah (GSU) 3-6, 2-1, unfinished
4. Thassane Abrahim (UTEP) vs. Jovana Latinovich (GSU) 6-2, 2-1, unfinished
5. Elena Dibattista (UTEP) def. Lungile Ntuli (GSU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Eve Daniels (UTEP) def. Claire Machisa (GSU) 6-1, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Thassane Abrahim/Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) vs. Takudzwa Mawisire/Lungile Ntuli (GSU) 5-4, unfinished
2. Zuzanna Szczepanska/Elena Dibattista (UTEP) def. Jovana Latinovich/Itzel Hernandez (GSU) 6-2
3. Carlotta Mencaglia/Eve Daniels (UTEP) def. Claire Machisa/Georgina Kaindoah (GSU) 6-1
 
Match Notes:
Grambling State 3-9
UTEP 5-11
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,5,6)
 
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