The Wyoming Cowgirls women’s tennis team won 4-2 against the University of New Mexico on April 22 in the opening round of the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Tennis Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Cowgirls, seeded eighth, came from behind after losing the doubles point and secured their spot in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
This result continues a streak for Wyoming, as they have reached at least the quarterfinal stage at every Mountain West tennis tournament since 2008. Their next match will be against top-seeded San Diego State at 11 a.m., Mountain Time on Thursday.
Wyoming won four out of five completed singles matches to clinch victory over ninth-seeded New Mexico. All-Mountain West player Violetta Borodina was first to score for Wyoming with a straight-set win at No. 3 singles (6-3, 6-2). Madlena Orlova followed with another straight-set victory at No. 4 (6-2, 6-2), giving Wyoming its first lead of the day.
At the top of the lineup, Anastasiia Kochelaevskaia and Silver Bijlsma—both All-Mountain West honorees—each earned three-set wins at No. 1 and No. 2 singles respectively. Kochelaevskaia prevailed with scores of 6-4, 1-6, and 6-3 while Bijlsma finished her match with scores of 6-2, 2-6, and 6-3.
In doubles play earlier in the day, Bijlsma and Borodina teamed up for a win (6-3), but New Mexico took victories on courts two and three to claim that point.
