April 28, 2011
FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Third-seeded and 50th-ranked San Diego State was upset in the quarterfinal round of the Mountain West Conference Championship by Wyoming, 4-3, Thursday morning at University Tennis Complex at Colorado State. The loss eliminates the Aztecs from the tournament and drops them to 15-10.
The day started off tough for SDSU as it dropped all three doubles matches to lose the early point. Julia Wais and Alicia Aguilar were ousted, 8-6, at No. 2 by Rebecca Berger and Alexandra Kovacs. Then Roxanne Ellison and Sierra Ellison were downed, 8-4, at the top slot by Simona Synkova and Kim van Ginkel to secure the point for the Cowgirls. At third doubles, Julia Trunk and Emma Cioffi fell to Carly Van Hollen and Veronica Popvici, 8-4, to wrap up competition.
Wyoming's van Ginkel gave the sixth-seeded Cowgirls a 2-0 lead following her 6-4, 6-1 victory at No. 4 over Cioffi. The loss halted the San Diego State junior's five-match winning streak.
The Aztecs, however, stormed back by winning the next three matches to take a 3-2 lead. Sierra Ellison got SDSU on the scoreboard with her straight-sets, 6-3, 6-3, triumph over Berger at No. 5. Wais, an all-conference singles performer, then followed suit by downing Kovacs, 6-3, 6-2, at the second position. The victory was her team-high sixth in a row and it avenged her regular-season loss to Kovacs in the MWC opener.
Roxanne Ellison broke the 2-2 tie and gave the Aztecs a one-point cushion when she registered a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sasa Nemcova at No. 6 singles.
The San Diego State lead evaporated as the match went into the late stages and only courts one and three were occupied.
At No. 3, Aguilar fell victim to Synkova in a hard-fought three-set battle. Aguilar won the first set, 6-4, but could not keep the momentum going as she ultimately dropped a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) decision, which knotted the score at 3-3.
Similar to Aguilar, Trunk dismissed Popovici in the first set, 6-2, but could not sustain her performance. The senior lost in three sets at the top of the order, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, to seal the narrow 4-3 victory for Wyoming.
2011 Mountain West Conference Championship - Quarterfinals
(6) Wyoming 4, (3) No. 50 San Diego State 3
University Tennis Complex; Fort Collins, Colo.
Doubles
1. Simona Synkova/Kim van Ginkel (WYO) def. Roxanne Ellison/Sierra Ellison (SDSU), 8-4
2. Rebecca Berger/Alexandra Kovacs (WYO) def. Julia Wais/Alicia Aguilar (SDSU), 8-6
3. Carly Van Hollen/Veronica Popovici (WYO) def. Julia Trunk/Emma Cioffi (SDSU), 8-4
Wyoming wins doubles point
Singles
1. Veronica Popovici (WYO) def. Julia Trunk (SDSU), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
2. Julia Wais (SDSU) def. Alexandra Kovacs (WYO), 6-3, 6-2
3. Simona Synkova (WYO) def. Alicia Aguilar (SDSU), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(5)
4. Kim van Ginkel (WYO) def. Emma Cioffi (SDSU), 6-4, 6-1
5. Sierra Ellison (SDSU) def. Rebecca Berger (WYO), 6-3, 6-3
6. Roxanne Ellison (SDSU) def. Sasa Nemcova (WYO), 6-2, 6-4
Order of Finish
Doubles: 2, 1, 3
Singles: 4, 5, 2, 6, 3, 1*
*Clinching match