PUEBLO, Colo. -- The Western New Mexico University tennis teams both claimed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season crowns over the weekend thanks to a perfect record.


In the first match of the week, WNMU bested Metro State, with the men cruising to a 9-0 win and the women pulling out a heard-fought 5-4 victory. In the men's match, in doubles Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) and Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/) went into a tiebreak at No. 1 and came away with the 9-8 win (7-1). At No. 2 behind Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/) and Francisco Damasio (Jundiai, Brazil/Centro Educational Sigma ) and at No. 3 with Matthieu Covizzi (Noailly, France/) and Jorge Carretero (Asturias, Spain/), they won by scores of 8-4. In singles, Almeida dominated at No. 1, 6-0, 6-4. Fuentes battled through a tiebreaker in the first set, 7-6 (8-6) and then finished off the match in straight sets, 6-2. Covizzi at No. 3 and Nunez at No. 4 posted wins by the same score of 6-1, 7-5. At No. 5, Damasio overcame a first set setback to take the final two, 6-3, 10-1. In the final singles match, Roy Ulibarri (Dexter, NM/Dexter High School) win handily, 6-1, 6-2. On the women's side in doubles, Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) and Ashley Newell (Las Vegas, NV/Silverado) went extra time to win their top flight match, 9-8 (7-3). Metro State came back to win at No. 2, 8-6, over Doris Berberic (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Hutt Valley High School) and Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) and at No. 3, 8-5, over Marie Monier (Saint Etienne, France/St Paul Forez Montbrison) and Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio ). In singles, WNMU won the first four matches. Tiurina had no trouble at No. 1, 6-3, 6-2. Newell followed suit with a 6-4, 6-2 win. At No. 3, Osuna lost just three games coming away with a 6-1, 6-2 victory. Monier had the toughest match of the first four as she cruised to a 6-1 first set win, but then dropped the second, 3-6, before coming back with a 6-4 third and final set win at No. 4. Berberic dropped her match at No. 5, 5-7, 0-6 and Davida Aragon (Arenas Valley, NM/Cobre High School) at No. 6 fell in three, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-0).


The next day, WNMU faced both Colorado Mesa and MSU-Billings.  Against Colorado Mesa, the men edged the Mavericks, 5-4. In doubles, WNMU took two of three. Nunez and Damasio at No. 2, along with Covizzi and Carretero at No. 3 posted the same scores of 8-5. Fuentes and Almeida came up just short at the top flight, 8-9 (5-7). In singles, Almeida dropped the first set, 3-6, but refused to go away coming back with a 6-3, 6-4 win. Fuentes controlled his match at No. 2, 6-1, 6-1. Nunez won the other singles match for the Mustangs thanks to a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 4. Covizzi dropped his match at No. 3, 4-6, 2-6, Damasio fell at No. 5, 0-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-10 and Ulibarri at No. 6, 5-7, 1-6. The women also won by the same score of 5-4. In doubles, Tiurina and Newell accounted for the only win coming away with a 8-5 win at the top flight. Berberic and Morrill, along with Monier and Osuna fell by the same scores of 8-4 at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. In singles, Tiurina posted a shutout, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1. Newell won a tough match at No. 2, 7-5, 6-4. Monier came away with a 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 4, while Morrill added to that a three-set win, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6. Osuna dropped her match at No. 3, 5-7, 6-4, 4-6 and Berberic lost at No. 5, 4-6, 2-6.


The other match of the day WNMU played against MSU-Billings. The men battled their way to a 6-3 win. In doubles, Almeida and Fuentes started things strong with a 8-4 win at the top flight. Damasio and Nunez also won at No. 2, 8-1. Covizzi and Carretero dropped a close match at No. 3, 7-9. In singles, Fuentes posted the first win at No. 2, 6-2, 6-2. Covizzi won his match at No. 3, 6-2, 6-4. Nunez made quick work at No. 4, 6-3, 6-0, while Ulibarri also won cruising to a 6-0, 6-0 victory. Almeida went three sets at No. 1, as he won the first set, 6-1, before dropping the final two, 5-7, 8-10. Damasio also went three at No. 5, as he dropped the first set, 4-6, but came back for a 6-1 second set win before a 10-12 loss in the final set. The women had an easier time with a 9-0 victory. In doubles, Tiurina and Newell won, 8-4, at No. 1, Morrill and Berberic posted an 8-2 win at No. 2, while Monier and Osuna shutdown their opponent at No. 3 with a 8-0 win. In singles, Tiurina had no problems rolling to a 6-0, 6-0 win. Newell posted 6-4, 6-4 set wins at No. 2. Osuna pulled out a tight opened set, 7-5 and then finished off the straight set win, 6-2 at No. 3. Monier had no problems in her first set, 6-0 and then came back with a 6-3 second set win at No. 4. Berberic lost on three games at No. 5 coming away with a 6-1, 6-2 win. Aragon rounded out the singles wins with a 6-0, 6-4 victory at No. 6.


In the final matchup of the weekend, WNMU rolled to a pair of 9-0 wins over Colorado Christian. On the men's side in doubles, Nunez and Damasio, along with Covizzi and Carretero cruised to 8-2 wins at No. 1 and No. 2. In the final doubles match, Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/) and Ulibarri won, 8-1. In singles, Fuentes won, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1. Nunez, Damasio and Carretero won, 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2, 3 and 5 respectively. Nader Murad (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England/) grabbed a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 6, while Lopez won at No. 4 due to the other player retiring. On the women's side in doubles play, Tiurina and Newell, along with Berberic and Morrill pulled out 8-2 wins at No. 1 and No. 2. Osuna and Monier completed the doubles sweep with a 8-1 win at No. 3. In singles, Tiruina, Newell and Aragon at 1, 2 and 5 posted 6-0, 6-0 wins. Osuna won the first set, 6-3 and concluded the win with a 6-0 second set win at No. 3. Berberic fought through for a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Dena Irvin (Farmington, NM/Farmington High School) wrapped up the 9-0 win with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6.  


This is the first RMAC regular season title for the women, after they made history last year with their first RMAC Tournament title.
The men have now won the regular season crown for the last four years including this season. They will look to also win the tournament for the fourth straight year.


With all the wins this weekend, the men are now 14-12, 5-0 in the RMAC and the women are 11-14, 5-0 in the RMAC. Both teams will be the top seed at the RMAC Tournament that will take place on Friday, April 19 in Grand Junction.