For Immediate Release: March 6, 2001
Contact: Derek Smolik, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations

UT Pan American Men Win, Women Fall to Laredo Community College in Tennis Action

EDINBURG – The University of Texas-Pan American split a men’s-women’s doubleheader with Laredo Community College in tennis action Tuesday night at the Cox Tennis Courts.

After falling in the doubles portion of the match, the UTPA men rolled to an easy win, taking all six singles matches against the third-ranked junior college team in the nation.  Enrique Bastante defeated Alen Horvat, 7-5, 6-4, at number one singles.  In both sets Bastante came from behind late in the set to win.  He won the final five games of the second set to clinch the win.  Matt Gower, Juan Saiz, Tom Mangelschots and Kareem Abdullah all won easily in two sets.  Brandon Meiners edged Michael Zamaitala in the best match of the day, 6-1, 5-7, 10-8.

In the women’s match, Laredo Community College won four of the six singles matches, as well as the doubles point.  LCC, currently ranked 10^th in the nation, won the doubles point when Karla Hurtado and Bethany Zaiglin defeated Jessica Brown and Mireya Villarreal, 9-8.  Celine Merlini won the lone singles match for the Lady Broncs, defeating Christine Suard, 6-2, 7-5, for her 17^th singles win of the season.  Erica Espinoza also picked up a singles win.

The Broncs (7-7) will return to action this weekend when they travel to Corpus Christi to participate in the H.E.B. Classic.  The Lady Broncs (5-7) will return to action on Sunday when they travel to Beaumont, Texas to take on Northwestern State and Louisiana-Monroe at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

UTPA 6, Laredo C.C. 1
Men’s Tennis
Cox Tennis Courts, Edinburg, Texas

Singles
No. 1 – Enrique Bastante (UTPA) d. Alen Horvat (LCC), 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 – Matt Gower (UTPA) d. Luis Moris (LCC), 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 – Juan Saiz (UTPA) d. Jose Sanchez (LCC), 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 – Kareem Abdullah (UTPA) d. Marco Valdez (LCC), 6-3, 6-1
No. 5 – Brandon Meiners (UTPA) d. Michael Zamaitala (LCC), 6-1, 5-7, 10-8
No. 6 – Tom Mangelschots (UTPA) d. Juan Herrera (LCC), 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 – Moris/Sanchez (LCC) d. Gower/Meiners (UTPA), 8-6
No. 2 – Horvat/Valdez (LCC) d. Abdullah/Saiz (UTPA), 8-5
No. 3 – Bastante/Cantu (UTPA) d. Herrera/Zamaitala (LCC), 8-4

Record: UTPA 7-7

Laredo C.C. 5, UTPA 2
Women’s Tennis
Cox Tennis Courts, Edinburg, Texas

Singles
No. 1 – Celine Merlini (UTPA) d. Christine Suard (LCC), 6-2, 7-5
No. 2 – Elizabeth Mateos (LCC) d. Eve Nickelson (UTPA), 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 – Denise Banda (LCC) d. Jessica Brown (UTPA), 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 – Karla Hurtado (LCC) d. Alana Breen (UTPA), 6-4, 7-5
No. 5 – Bethany Zaiglin (LCC) d. Mireya Villarreal (UTPA), 7-5, 6-2
No. 6 – Erica Espinoza (UTPA) d. Amanda Castro (LCC), 8-3

Doubles
No. 1 – Merlini/Nickelson (UTPA) d. Mateos/Suard (LCC), 8-1
No. 2 – Hurtado/Zaiglin (LCC) d. Brown/Villarreal (UTPA), 9-8
No. 3 – Banda/Castro (LCC) d. Breen/Espinoza (LCC), 8-3

Records: UTPA 5-7