Lobo women sweep Nevada to improve to 17-1

Team has big matchup Sunday vs. No. 65 SDSU

The UNM women’s tennis team swept Nevada 4-0 at home on Friday to move to 17-1 on the season and 6-0 in the Mountain West with just three matches left in the regular season.

In singles play, Leonie Hoppe rolled to a 6-0, 6-1 win over Kennedy Robinson for her 20th singles victory of the season and Katherine Jhang easily defeated Amahee Charrier 6-0, 6-2.

Maud Vandeputte rallied late for a 6-4, 7-5 win over Anastasia Luneva, giving the Lobos the point it needed for a sweep of the Wolf Pack.

Vandeputte came back from down 5-4 in the second set. Up 6-5 in the final game, she hit three aces including on a second serve up 40-30 to end the two-and-a-half-hour match, giving UNM the deciding point for the sweep the Wolf Pack.

In doubles play, all three matches were 4-4 at one point.

Down 4-3 in the middle court, Hsuan Huang and Maria Sodre got a break of serve to pull ahead 5-4 and then serve out a 6-4 win over Lea Cakarevic and Marlene Foerster to give UNM the first half of the doubles point. Huang and Sodre improved to 14-1 in doubles matches this season.

Bente and Maud Vandeputte trailed 5-4 and were staring at deuce and set point, but each twin hit a terrific cross-court shot, the second of which was hit into the net, and they played on, getting a break to go up 6-5 on Robinson and Mia Miranda. Bente then served out the set, giving the Lobos the doubles point.

Jhang and Hoppe were in a dogfight with Charrier and Luneva in a match that went to a tiebreak. The Lobos were up 3-2 in the extra set when the Vandeputtes won, giving Jhang and Hoppe — who have only lost once this season — a no decision.

Nevada dropped to 8-8 overall, 2-4 in the Mountain West.

UNM hosts No. 65 San Diego State in a big match on Sunday at 11 a.m.