NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Arguably the most successful fall season since at least 2009 wrapped up for the UTEP tennis team at the CSUN Invite Sunday.
 
The Miners showed tremendous heart while battling Big Ten member Minnesota in singles, pushing the Gophers to the limits with three-set matches on four of the six courts. UTEP came up short in doubles play against Idaho, but it was essentially a moot point given how successful the Orange and Blue were in their five fall tournaments.
 
For just the second team in the past 15 years, UTEP's winning percentage in both singles (54.2) and doubles (59.0) was above .500 during the fall tournament portion of the campaign. It also occurred as part of the 2011-12 season, but the winning percentage for both singles (52.7) and doubles (51.4) fall short of this year's readout for each.
 
The Miners piled up a combined 68 victories between singles (45) and doubles (23) spanning just five fall tournaments this year, the second-highest total by a UTEP squad in the fall since 2009. UTEP amassed 78 triumphs in 2015-16, but that team had 160 matches in the fall (51-61 in singles, 27-21 in doubles) compared to the 122 (45-38 in singles, 23-16 in doubles) for this year.
 
"We didn't finish like we hoped. We fought hard in singles vs. Minnesota but could win any singles despite taking four matches to three sets," UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. "In the doubles, we clearly ran out of gas and could not get a win. Overall, we had a great fall season, and we know what to keep working on to have a great spring."
 
Candice Bernier pushed Mia Liepert to the brink in a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, outcome. Zuzanna Szczepanska followed suit by giving Deniz Turan all she wanted in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, battle. Carlotta Mencaglia left it all on the court before succumbing at the hands of Jeselle Ante, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. Hanna Telzynska was outlasted by Sofia Pinto, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Paloma Hennicaux was upended by Anlin Xie, 6-3, 6-4. Wendy Zhang fell to Nora Knezevic, 6-2, 6-3.
 
Mencaglia and Telzynska were clipped by Naomi Schraeder and Hanna Koprowska, 6-3, Bernier and Hennicaux were held off by Chenyue Xu and Diana Khaydarshina, 6-4. Szczepanska and Zhang fell to Lena Beckx and Ida Johansson, 6-0.
 
UTEP has plenty to build upon and look forward to for the 2025 dual season. It will get underway in January. Once again, the Miners' home matches will be contested at the El Paso Tennis Club and admission will be free of charge.
 
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