UNLV roundup: Women’s tennis team makes league semifinals

Aiwen Zhu, Izumi Asano and Anna Bogoslavets each won in singles and were part of a doubles victory to help UNLV coast to a 4-0 triumph over ninth-seeded New Mexico (10-11) in a Mountain West women’s tennis championship quarterfinal Friday in Boise, Idaho.

The top-seeded Rebels (15-5) extended their win streak to six matches and have reached at least the semifinals of the league tournament for the 17th time in the Mountain West’s 19 years of existence.

They will face fifth-seeded Wyoming (12-7) at noon Saturday in a semifinal.

MEN’S TENNIS

At San Diego, Richard Solberg won the lone set for the fourth-seeded Rebels (14-10), at No. 5 singles, in their season-ending 4-0 loss to top-seeded Utah State (18-8) in a Mountain West championship semifinal.

This marked the second straight season that the Aggies defeated UNLV in the league tournament. Utah State downed the Rebels 4-0 in the title match a year ago in Boise, Idaho.

BASEBALL

At San Diego, Julian Escobedo and Casey Schmitt doubled in the second inning to produce a run and back Harrison Pyatt, who struck out nine over six shutout innings, leading San Diego State to a 1-0 victory over the Rebels.

Pyatt (3-2) allowed three hits and three walks, and UNLV (29-15, 10-9 Mountain West) left 10 runners on base. Schmitt pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to post his sixth save of the season.

Escobedo and Chase Calabuig had two hits apiece for the Aztecs (28-14, 11-7), who held a 6-4 edge in hits.

Rebels starter Alan Strong (6-2) went the distance, allowing one earned run on six hits and no walks and striking out five.

Bryson Stott, Kyle Isbel and Max Smith each went 1-for-4 with a double for UNLV.

SOFTBALL

At Eller Media Stadium, Alyssa Navarro hit a three-run homer in the Rebels’ six-run third inning and an RBI double in their three-run fourth, powering UNLV to a 9-4 victory over UNR.

Mia Trejo had an RBI double in the third and a two-run triple in the fourth for the Rebels (25-16, 7-9 Mountain West), who had a 9-6 edge in hits.

Justine Federe went 2-for-4 and scored twice, and Brooke Stover had an RBI double for UNLV.

Rebels starter Janine Petmecky (16-6) went the distance, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and three walks. She struck out five.

Erika Hansen hit a three-run homer in the fifth for the Wolf Pack (19-22, 8-10).

TRACK AND FIELD

At Irvine, Calif., Jaela Williams and Jasmyne Graham placed first and second in the long jump, among the Rebels’ five top-eight finishes at the Steve Scott Invitational.

Williams jumped 20 feet, ¼ inch and Graham 19-11¾, both personal bests. Stella Clemens was sixth in the long jump with a season-best 19-½.

Kylee Vandenberg posted a personal-best throw of 142-11 in the javelin to place third, and MacKenna Howard had a personal-best effort of 177 feet in the hammer throw.

WOMEN’S GOLF

Polly Mack was named the Mountain West’s freshman of the year and player of the year and was one of five players named to the all-league first team, sophomore Nastasia Kossacky and junior Elizabeth Prior were named to the six-member all-league second team, and Amy Bush-Herzer was named the league’s coach of the year.

The dual awards for Mack mark the first time a Rebel has garnered both in the same year, and Bush-Herzer gained the honor for second time in the past three years and third time in her career.

Mack gained the program’s eighth player of the year award, while she became the eighth Rebel to be named the freshman of the year. This also is the fourth time in Mountain West history the same player has swept both categories and the third time the same school has swept all three major honors.

Bush-Herzer’s selection as the conference’s coach of the year is the fifth all-time for UNLV, with former coach Missy Ringler gaining the first two in 2003-04 and 2005-06. Bush-Herzer took over the program prior to the 2010-11 season after spending three years as an assistant under Ringler.

The Rebels won four tournaments in 2017-18, including their third straight Mountain West championship at the conference tournament.

MEN’S GOLF

Senior Shintaro Ban was named the Mountain West player of the year, Jack Trent was named the league’s freshman of the year, and Ban, Trent, freshman Garrick Higgo and junior Harry Hall were named to the 10-member all-league team.

Ban, who has won four titles this season, set records at the league tournament for total score, score relative to par and margin of victory. His selection as player of the year marks the second straight and 13th in UNLV men’s golf history.

The 20th-ranked Rebels won their third straight Mountain West tournament title last week.