ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After a shutout win at Air Force on Friday, the No. 65-ranked San Diego State women's tennis team faced a tougher task on Sunday morning. The Aztecs played at first-place New Mexico with only five active players due to an injury to Gloria Alogo. Despite having to default on a court in both singles and doubles, SDSU won the doubles point and three singles matches to finish on top in a 4-3 win.
The Scarlet and Black win their fourth straight and improve to 11-5 and 5-1 in conference play and hand the Lobos just their second loss of the season to fall to 17-2 and 6-1 in Mountain West matches.
In doubles, SDSU defaulted on the third doubles court with Alogo out. On court No. 1, Yasmine Kabbaj and Myah Petchey (6-5) played against Katherine Jhang and Leonie Hoppe. The Aztecs cruised to a 6-2 win. Andreea Velcea and Andjela Skrobonja (9-3) paired up on the second court. Facing Hsuan Huang and Maria Sodre, their match went to a tiebreaker for the second straight match. The tiebreaker was close, but Velcea and Skrobonja came through with a 7-6 (8-6) victory to pick up the pivotal doubles point.
New Mexico evened the score at one as the Aztecs were forced to default on the sixth court.
No. 84-ranked Skrobonja (12-2) matched up with Sarah O'Connor on the second court. Skrobonja took the first set 6-3 and blanked her opponent in the second 6-0 to win.
Facing Hoppe on the fifth court, Zoe Olmos (7-7) kept both sets competitive but could not find a win in either, falling 6-4, 6-4.
Velcea (9-4) faced Maud Vandeputte on court No. 4. She earned a 6-4 win in the first set and faced less resistance in a 6-2 second set to win her match and take a 3-2 lead for SDSU.
On the third court, Petchey (7-5) faced Huang. Both sets came down to the wire, but Petchey ended up on the wrong end of a pair of 7-5 results as the Lobos evened things at three.
No. 96-ranked Kabbaj (11-2) battled Jhang on the top court. With the match score knotted at three, this match would decide the winner. Kabbaj forced a tiebreaker in the opening set but was tripped up 7-6 (7-5). She stormed back to take the second set 6-2 and send the entire match down to the third set. Kabbaj carried her momentum over from the second set to another 6-2 win as the Aztecs emerged victorious.
San Diego State will play its final home matches of the season at the Aztec Tennis Center next weekend. SDSU is slated to host Colorado State at 2 p.m. PT on Friday, April 12, and Fresno State at noon PT on Sunday, April 14. The Aztecs will honor their seniors prior to the match against the Bulldogs.
No. 65 San Diego State 4, New Mexico 3
McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium – Albuquerque, N.M.
April 7, 2024
Singles Competition
1. No. 96 Yasmine Kabbaj (SDSU) def. Katherine Jhang (UNM) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-2
2. No. 84 Andjela Skrobonja (SDSU) def. Sarah O'Connor (UNM) 6-3, 6-0
3. Hsuan Huang (UNM) def. Myah Petchey (SDSU) 7-5, 7-5
4. Andreea Velcea (SDSU) def. Maud Vandeputte (UNM) 6-4, 6-2
5. Leonie Hoppe (UNM) def. Zoe Olmos (SDSU) 6-4, 6-4
6. Bente Vandeputte (UNM) def. (SDSU) Default
Doubles Competition
1. Myah Petchey/Yasmine Kabbaj (SDSU) def. Katherine Jhang/Leonie Hoppe (UNM) 6-2
2. Andjela Skrobonja/Andreea Velcea (SDSU) def. Hsuan Huang/Maria Sodre (UNM) 7-6 (8-6)
3. Maud Vandeputte/Bente Vandeputte (UNM) def. (SDSU) Default
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,2,5,4,3,1)
Aztecs Knock Off First-Place New Mexico
