April 29, 2000
LAS VEGAS - It wasn't quite the what the 31st-ranked Aztecs had in mind when they headed to the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championships this week but it beat the alternative. San Diego State, the tournament's top seed, bounced back from a heartbreaking defeat to UNLV Friday with a 5-4 over No. 46-ranked and second-seeded New Mexico in the third place match Saturday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The victory improved SDSU to 15-9 on the season and avenged an earlier loss this season the Lobos (15-11).
The two teams split singles play with the Aztecs picking up wins the bottom three matches for the second straight day. UNM quickly won the No. 1 doubles match to take a 4-3 lead but SDSU rallied behind wins from Lisa Papi and Katja Karrento at No. 2 and Julie Chidley and Lindsey Hedberg at No. 3 to secure the come-from-behind victory.
Host UNLV won the league title with a 5-2 victory over BYU.
SDSU will hear word of a possible NCAA Tournament berth when the selection committee announces its regional pairings on May 4. The Aztecs have participated in the last nine straight NCAA Women's Tennis Championship Tournaments.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 29, 2000
Third-Place Match
Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas, Nev.
(1) SAN DIEGO STATE 5, (2) NEW MEXICO 4
SINGLES
1. Ana Friganovic (UNM) def. Whitney Wells (SDSU) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3
2. Natalia Alekhova (UNM) def. Laura Aguero (SDSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Ashley Hedberg (UNM) def. Katja Karrento (SDSU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Lindsey Hedberg (SDSU) def. Dominika Gerwin (UNM) 2-6, 7-6, 6-3
5. Katey Becker (SDSU) def. Neza Kurnik (UNM) 6-0, 6-0
6. Julie Chidley (SDSU) def. Nicoleta Spilca (UNM) 6-3, 7-6 (2)
DOUBLES
1. Friganovic/Hedberg (UNM) def. Wells/Aguero (SDSU) 8-3
2. Lisa Papi/Karrento (SDSU) def. Gerwin/Caroline Pollock (UNM) 8-5
3. Chidley/Hedberg (SDSU) def. Alekhova/Kurnik (UNM) 8-5