SAN JOSE, Calif., -- The Wyoming Cowgirl tennis team opened Mountain West play Friday afternoon dropping a tough, hard-fought match at San Jose State, losing 4-3 in their first conference match in nearly two years.

The Spartans (8-0, 1-0 MW) won the final two singles matches of the day, at the No. 1 and 6 positions, to rally for the victory. Wyoming falls to 6-5 overall and 0-1 in MW play.

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The Cowgirls were able to battle their way to winning the doubles point and jumped out to an early 1-0 lead Friday, as UW got wins at the No. 2 and 3 spots to secure the doubles victory.

Mihaela Kaftanova and Ida Krause got the Cowgirls going with a 6-4 win at the third position while the duo of Ana Fernandez and Sophie Zehender rallied to also win 6-4 at the No. 2 spot. Kaftanova and Krause improved to 6-3 as a team this season while Fernandez and Zehender are now 9-1 and have won five straight.

Wyoming was able to get singles victories at the second position, as Zehender won her fifth consecutive singles match, defeating the Spartans' Rozalina Youseva in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2 and at the No. 4 spot, as Noesjka Brink improved to 6-2 in singles play this season with a 6-2, 6-4 win over SJSU's Lara Marco Mas.

The Cowgirls took a 3-2 lead in the match with the two singles wins before the Spartans were able to rally late.

Next up, the Cowgirls will travel to Air Force next weekend for matches against Air Force and New Mexico April 2 and 3, respectively. Tomorrow's match against Colorado State in San Jose, was canceled earlier in the week due to a positive COVID-19 test within the CSU program.

Wyoming at San Jose State
3/26/21 at San Jose, Calif.

Wyoming 3, San Jose State 4
Doubles competition

1. Noesjka Brink/Maria Oreshkina (WYO) vs. Tamara Culibrk/Savannah Sendar (SJSU) unfinished
2. Ana Fernandez/Sophie Zehender (WYO) def. Alba Pedrero Galindo/Lara Marco Mas (SJSU) 6-4
3. Mihaela Kaftanova/Ida Krause (WYO) def. Irena Muradyan/Rozalina Youseva (SJSU) 6-4

Singles competition
1. Pedrero Galindo (SJSU) def. Oreshkina (WYO) 6-4, 6-2
2. Zehender (WYO) def. Youseva (SJSU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Muradyan (SJSU) def. Fernandez (WYO) 6-3, 6-1
4. Brink (WYO) def. Marco Mas (SJSU) 6-2, 6-4
5. Villan Pereira (SJSU) def. Lucia Malinak (WYO) 6-2, 6-2
6. Jovana Babic (SJSU) def. Kaftanova (WYO) 6-4, 6-3

* University of Wyoming press release

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