EL PASO, Tex. – The Western New Mexico University women's tennis team went against a pair of Division I schools in University of Texas-El Paso and University of Louisiana-Monroe this past weekend, dropping both contests, 7-0, and 5-0.


In the first matchup on Saturday against UTEP (10-11), juniors Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227)/Marie Monier (Saint Etienne, France/St Paul Forez Montbrison) posted a pair of games in their doubles match before a 2-8 setback at the top flight. Senior Dena Irvin (Farmington, NM/Farmington High School)/sophomore Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) at No. 2 and sophomore Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio )/freshman Marissa Aguirre (Douglas, AZ/Douglas) at No. 3 lost by the same score of 0-8.


In singles, Tiurina came the closest to claiming a set as after she dropped the opening set, 3-6, she came back to force a tiebreaker in the second before falling, 6-7 (6-8). Osuna at No. 3 came back from a 0-6 opening set to grab four games in the second, 4-6. Monier at No. 2 won three games, 1-6, 2-6, Aguirre at No. 6 won a pair of games, 1-6, 1-6. Irvin and No. 5 and Morrill and No. 4 fell, 0-6, 0-6.


The next day on Sunday, the Lady Mustangs (0-16) battled University of Louisiana-Monroe (5-8). In doubles, Morrill/Irvin at No. 2 pulled out four games before a 4-8 setback. Tiurina/Monier at No. 1, 1-8 and Osuna/Aguirre at No. 3, 0-8, rounded out the doubles action.


In singles, Tiurina had claimed two games in each set at the top flight before the match had been decided, 2-6, 2-2. Aguirre won games in each set at No. 6, 1-6, 1-6. Morrill at No. 4 and Irvin at No. 5 had the same scores of 1-6, 0-6. Osuna won one game at No. 3 as the match didn't finish, 0-6, 1-4, while Monier fell at No. 2, 0-6, 0-6.


WNMU will return to action this Wednesday when they will play another Division I opponent in New Mexico State University beginning at 11 a.m. in Las Cruces.