EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's tennis team snapped its 14-match losing streak to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 4-3 win on Tuesday at the Orville Cox Tennis Center.
 
It is the first time UTRGV (6-5) defeats Texas A&M-Corpus Christi since February 17, 2007, which was the second win of that season. The win also improves UTRGV to 5-0 at home this season.
 
"They fought unbelievably," UTRGV head coach Sonia Hahn said. "There are no words to describe their heart and the way they competed. I am just so proud of them. They definitely deserve this win."
 
UTRGV got out in front as it won the first two matches in doubles. The team of juniors Dominique Ibarra and Marine Darzyan didn't drop a game to Jelena Dzinic and Carolina Bulatovic winning 6-0 on court one.
 
Senior Dominique Esparza and junior Doris Aleksovska clinched the doubles point with a 6-2 win over Louise Trigona and Marina Vicens Miguel on court two.
 
In singles, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-3) got a point with a win at the No. 2 spot that tied the match at 1-1.
 
Ibarra then pushed her win streak to eight straight wins with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Bulatovic at the No. 3 spot, which also gave UTRGV the 2-1 lead.
 
After Texas A&M-Corpus Christi tied the match at 2-2 with a win at the No. 1 spot, sophomore Anastasia Belyaeva got UTRGV the lead back with a win at the No. 4 spot. She opened with a 6-3 win in the first set against Trigona and then didn't drop a game in the second winning 6-0.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi answered back with a win at the No. 5 spot as it came down to the No. 6 spot where freshman Lasya Patnaik came through in the clutch.
 
Patnaik opened with a 7-6 win over Maria Soler Valverde in the first set but fell 3-6 in the second. In the third, Patnaik dominated dropping just one game and picking up the 6-1 win clinching the match for UTRGV.
 
"She is a great competitor," Hahn said. "She lives for the moment and she is one of these players that fights from the very first point to the very last. The score doesn't affect her. She just goes out there and competes. That made the difference today. I am just so proud of her and proud of the team."
 
With the win, UTRGV regains the lead in the South Texas Showdown, presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union, with 20.5 points to 18.5 points. The next showdown event will be from March 5-6 when UTRGV hosts women's golf's UTRGV Invitational.
 
UTRGV will be back in action on March 9 when it travels to Corpus Christi to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi once again as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Navy Army Community Credit Union at 2 p.m.
 
Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)
1. Jelena Dzinic (AMCC) def. Dominique Esparza (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-3
2. Luna Dormet (AMCC) def. Marine Darzyan (UTRGV) 6-1, 6-1
3. Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Carolina Bulatovic (AMCC) 6-2, 6-3
4. Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) def. Louise Trigona (AMCC) 6-3, 6-0
5. Maria Maldonado (AMCC) def. Doris Aleksovska (UTRGV) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
6. Lasya Patnaik (UTRGV) def. Maria Soler Valverde (AMCC) 7-6 (9), 3-6, 6-1
 
Doubles (1,2)
1. Marine Darzyan/Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) def. Jelena Dzinic/Carolina Bulatovic (AMCC) 6-0
2. Dominique Esparza/ Doris Aleksovska (UTRGV) def. Louise Trigona/Marina Vicens Miguel (AMCC) 6-2
3. Anastasia Belyaeva/Emma Louise Tranberg (UTRGV) vs. Luna Dormet/Maria Maldonado (AMCC) 2-5 unfinished

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