Colorado Cruises through Day One

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – The Colorado Buffaloes tennis team competed in the first day of the ITA Mountain Region Championship at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center on Wednesday. As a team they went a combined 7-5 record between both singles and doubles play.

The action began early with all four of the double's teams competing in the first round. Unfortunately, the Buffs struggled to find their footing early. Ellen Puzak and Betina Tokac fell to in state rival Zara Lennon and Sarah Weekley from Colorado State 8-4. For the first time as a duo Anya Nelson and Carri Hayes took the court together during doubles against Pac-12 conference foe Samantha Horwood and Emma Kamper from Utah. But like Puzak and Tokac, they were unable to finish the deal losing the match 8-4.

For the other two doubles matches in the first round they came down to a seven-point tiebreaker after having the score tied up at seven a piece. First, Mila Stanojevic and Elys Ventura found themselves evened up needing only seven points to advance against Idaho's Annabel Davis and Ida Johansson. After battling the entire match, the ball bounced the other way leading to an 8-7(1) loss for the Buffs. On the other side for first-time doubles partner's Aya El Sayed and Pia Rebec also found themselves in the same predicament. For the first time at the tournament and together as a duo they found a way to gut it out advancing to the next round after a nail biting 8-7(2) win.

While doubles did not prove the results Colorado wanted, singles play was another opportunity and they took advantage going 6-2 for the first day. That started early behind a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory by Stanojevic over Alexis Odom from the Air Force Academy. Meanwhile on the other side of the Flight A bracket Ventura was putting forth a business-like approach, winning 6-4, 6-3 over Anna Pinaieva from New Mexico. The next two matches in the flight A bracket did not go as smoothly. Both Rebec and Tokac lost their first-round matchups 6-2, 6-4 and 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 respectively.

In the Flight B bracket the Buffs had no problems winning all three matches in straight sets. Puzak got them started with a 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Weber State's Dylan Lolofie. Nelson continued the winning way's against Natsuki Nishimura from New Mexico State. She dominated the first set winning 6-0, but felt resistance in the second set. Ultimately, she closed the set and clinched the match with a 7-5 win.

In only the second third set match of the day for the Buffs El Sayed played an up and down bout against UTEP's Carlotta Mencaglia. After a rough first set loss of 6-4, El Sayed would come back to tie it up with a 6-4 second set win of her own. It would all come down to the third and final set, and it sure did deliver. In a back-and-forth affair both players took there shot at ending the match but neither could pull away, leading to a third set tiebreaker with the score all knotted up at seven. El Sayed would come out of the gates firing in the tiebreaker, winning 7-2 clinching the set and the match. The final score would read 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) in favor of El Sayed.

Even after a very long first day Hayes did not let the Colorado momentum dip even slightly. From the very first serve she was pushing for a win, and that exactly what she did in straight sets. Against Kylie Kezos from Dixie State, Hayes won 6-3, 6-2.

Up Next
The Buffs are back in action at the Ita Mountain Region Championships tomorrow with the round of 32 in both doubles and singles as well as the round of 16 for singles. One doubles duo and three singles players will be alive in the Flight A bracket with a chance to qualify for the ITA Fall National Championships.

Results
ITA Mountain Region Championships
Doubles
Aya El Sayed/Pia Rebec (CU) def. Marlene Foerster/ Lou Anne Guerbert (NEV) 8-7(2)
Annabel Davis/Ida Johansson (ID) def. Mila Stanojevic/Elys Ventura (CU) 8-7(1)
Zara Lennon/Sarah Weekley (CSU) def. Ellen Puzak/Betina Tokac (CU) 8-4
Samantha Horwood/Emma Kamper (UT) def. Carri Hayes/Anya Nelson (CU) 8-4

Singles
Flight A
Mila Stanojevic (CU) def. Alexis Odom (UAFA) 6-0, 6-2
Elys Ventura (CU) def. Anna Pinaieva (NM) 6-4, 6-3
Noesjka Brink (WYO) def. Pia Rebec (CU) 6-2, 6-4
Tina Li (BYU) def. Betina Tokac (CU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Aya El Sayed (CU) def. Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2)
Flight B
Ellen Puzak (CU) def. Dylan Lolotie (WSU) 6-4, 7-5
Anya Nelson (CU) def. Natsuki Nishimura (NMS) 6-0, 7-5
Carri Hayes (CU) def. Kylie Kezos (DSU) 6-3, 6-2

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aya El Sayed

Carri Hayes

Anya Nelson

Ellen Puzak

Pia Rebec

Mila Stanojevic

Betina Tokac

Elys Ventura