BEAUMONT, Texas – A shorthanded UTEP tennis team proved its mettle by knocking off Lamar, 4-3, on the road Sunday.
 
With their top singles player out and Paloma Hennicaux only able to compete in doubles, the Miners (3-9) overcame the challenging circumstances to best the Cardinals (6-5). UTEP took the doubles point before triumphs by Veronika Lebisova, Hanna Telzynska and Emma Stuart lifted the Orange and Blue to their second win in the past three matches. Telzynska's three-set triumph was the clincher.
 
"It was a great team effort today," UTEP head coach Ivan Fernandez said. "Even shorthanded, we still found a way to win. I am so proud of these girls. It took everyone we had on the team to win today. Hanna (Telzynska) was the last match with it tied, 3-3. She clinched the victory in the third-set tiebreaker."
 
Zuzanna Szczepanska and Lebisova got things going with a 6-3 victory over Leah Kuruvilla and Megan Do at No. 1 doubles. Elena Dibattista and DeCora Antoine took down Jayci Wong and Marika Mueller, 6-3, at No. 3 doubles for the clincher. Telzynska and Hennicaux fell, 6-3, against Natalia Turczuk and Saloni Tamang, at No. 2 doubles, but UTEP still carried the 1-0 lead into singles play.
 
The Miners carried that momentum into singles action, where they got the three necessary triumphs to secure the team victory. Lebisova cruised past Kuruvilla, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 1 singles. Emma Stuart rallied back for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 vanquishing of Saloni Tamang at No. 5 singles. With the match locked up, 3-3, Telzynska took down Mueller, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, at No. 2 singles to set off a celebration for UTEP.
 
Dibattista was clipped by Do, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. Szczepanska was tripped up by Elena Rubio, 1-6, 7-5, 6-0, at No. 4 singles and Antoine fell by a final count, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 6 singles.
 
UTEP will take aim at its second straight victory and third in the past four matches when it faces Valparaiso (7-5) in Huntsville, Texas, at 11 a.m. MT/12 p.m. on Tuesday.
 
UTEP vs Lamar
Mar 10, 2024, at Beaumont, Texas
UTEP 4, Lamar 3
 
Singles competition
1. Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) def. Leah Kuruvilla (LU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Hanna Telzynska (UTEP) def. Marika Mueller (LU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
3. Megan Do (LU) def. Elena Dibattista (UTEP) 6-3, 6-4
4. Elena Rubio (LU) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) 1-6, 7-5, 6-0
5. Emma Stuart (UTEP) def. Saloni Tamang (LU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
6. Nouray Metwally (LU) def. DeCora Antoine (UTEP) 6-1, 6-4
 
Doubles competition
1. Zuzanna Szczepanska/Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) def. Leah Kuruvilla/Megan Do (LU) 6-3
2. Natalia Turczuk/Saloni Tamang (LU) def. Hanna Telzynska/Paloma Hennicaux (UTEP) 6-3
3. Elena Dibattista/DeCora Antoine (UTEP) def. Jayci Wong/Marika Mueller (LU) 6-3
 
Match Notes:
UTEP 3-9
Lamar 6-5
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,1,3,4,5,2)
 

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