TEMPE, Ariz. – Pitted against its first top-25 team since taking on 12th-ranked Oklahoma State at the NCAA Tournament last season, NM State was up for a challenge to start its spring season. Despite showing fight, the Aggies fell 7-0 to the Sun Devils at the Whiteman Tennis Complex on Thursday morning.
DOUBLES
- In total, the Aggies were able to steal just four games across three matches during the first portion of competition against Arizona State – giving ASU an early 1-0 advantage.
- Anna Pinaievsa and Lisa Zhu teamed up to take on Domenika Turkovic and Patricija Spaka where – falling 6-1 to a tandem that finished the fall ranked ninth in the nation.
- Senior duo Miranda Bishard and Bella Nguyen dropped a 6-1 decision to Sedona Gallagher and Giulia Morlet.
- Natsuki Nishimura and new Aggie addition Valeriia Ivanovskaia joined forces against Marianna Argyrokastriti and Chelsea Fontenel and were able to take two games before their match went unfinished.
SINGLES
- Over in singles play, Nishimura battled hard in the opening set against ASU's Fontenel before falling 6-3, 6-0.
- Aggies Zhu, Pinaieva, Ivanovskaia and Bishard had tough tasks ahead of themselves as each drew a Sun Devil that landed inside the top-100 rankings in the final poll of 2022.
- Zhu was competitive in the first set against No. 69 Morlet, however, she would ultimately fall 6-2, 6-0 in her first singles match of the spring season.
- After falling 6-1 in the opening set to No. 74 Turkovic, Freshman Anna Pinaieva put her best foot forward in the second game but would fall 6-3 to give the point to the Sun Devils.
- Meanwhile, No. 84 Argyrokastriti of Arizona State would claim a 6-0, 6-0 win over the Aggies' Ivanovskaia in her debut with the team.
- Bishard drew No. 95 Gallagher and would join Pinaieva as the only Aggies to win a game in each set. However, Gallagher would secure the win, 6-1, 6-2.
- The Aggies' sixth singles match saw Melissa Cartis fall to the talented Spaka, 6-0, 6-0 as the Sun Devils capped off their shutout victory.
UP NEXT
Just a little over 24 hours after finishing its match against Arizona State, NM State is set return home to host Western New Mexico on Friday at 2 p.m. at the NM State Tennis Complex.
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