LAS CRUCES, N.M. - In less than 48 hours, NM State will play for a share of the 2021 Western Athletic Conference regular season title.
The Aggies made sure of that by dominating Chicago State, 7-0, at the NM State Tennis Center Friday morning. With the victory, NM State improves to 4-1 in WAC play - just one match off of league-leading Grand Canyon's perfect 5-0 showing in league tilts.
DOUBLES
• Already with a leg up on the Cougars after the visitors did not have enough players to field a full third-flight doubles team, NM State won that flight by default.
• With the doubles point within their sights, the Aggies turned to Chloe Gavino and Bella Nguyen on line two to seal the deal. NM State's tandem did so, scoring a 6-3 victory over Katarina Dukic and Susana Andres.
• The reigning WAC Doubles Team of the Week, consisting of Harsha Challa and Gavi Kalaga, were also winners in their tandem bout. NM State's pairing squeaked by the Cougars' duo of Katarina Drazic and Kristina Pukhaeva by a 7-6 (5) score, giving the hosts a clean sweep of doubles action.
SINGLES
• No player could fill the lineup in flight six for Chicago State, so freshman Kayla Fielder - who joined NM State's squad earlier in the week - secured her first collegiate singles win by walkover to extend the home team's lead to 2-0.
• Following Fielder's win, the Aggies didn't let anything slow their pursuit of victory. Challa extended NM State's lead to 3-0 by claiming a near-shutout 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Pukhaeva in top-fight action.
• Gavino clinched the match for her squad down on line two, securing a 6-2, 6-2 win against Sofiya Sedovich.
• Nguyen's singles win was nearly as one-sided as Challa's. Down in flight five, Nguyen posted a 6-0, 6-2 victory when pitted against Susana Andres.
• The reigning WAC Singles Athlete of the Week kept the Aggies' hopes of a shutout win alive in fourth-flight action. Kalaga played her way to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dukic in that tilt.
• Miranda Bishard finished off the sweep by dominating her second - and final - set with Drazic. After eking out a 7-6 (3) triumph in the opening frame, Bishard finished off the Cougars' final competitor with a 6-2 win in the deciding set.
COMING UP NEXT
• At 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning at the NM State Tennis Center, NM State tangles with Grand Canyon in a match that will decide if the Lopes will claim the WAC regular season title outright or if they'll have to share it with the Aggies.
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