UNLV roundup: Huang, Asano team for regional tennis title

UNLV won an ITA regional doubles title for the first time as senior En-Pei Huang and junior Izumi Asano capped an unbeaten week together Sunday at the Mountain Region women’s tennis championships at Fertitta Tennis Complex.

The seventh-seeded duo overcame a 5-3 deficit in the first set of the title match to edge Northern Arizona sophomore Adrianna Sosnowska and freshman Mimi Bland 7-5, 6-4.

Huang and Asano went 6-0 in the tournament, including wins over the No. 2-seeded team from Air Force and the No. 6-seeded team from Utah.

In the singles final, top-seeded senior Chiara Tomasetti of Northern Arizona downed fourth-seeded sophomore Sara Nayar of Colorado 6-2, 6-1.

The ITA regional championships feature more than 8,000 student-athletes from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, junior and community colleges in 85 events around the country.

In Division I, regional doubles champions and singles champions and finalists qualify for the season-ending Oracle ITA National Fall Championships.

WOMEN’S GOLF

At Boulder City, freshman Elina Saksa shot a 3-under-par 69 for a one-stroke lead in a 96-player field after the first round of the three-round Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown at Boulder Creek Golf Club.

The Rebels were tied for third with Long Beach State in the 18-team field at 13-over 301, five shots behind pace-setting San Francisco. South Dakota State was second at 9-over 297, and Fresno State was alone in fifth at 18-over 306.

Fresno State junior Brigitte Thibault was alone in second at 2-under 70.

For UNLV, junior Samantha Fuller and sophomore Veronica Joels were tied for 18th at 4-over 76, junior Cathy Liu was tied for 58th at 8-over 80, and sophomore Nastasia Kossacky was 84th at 11-over 83.

Freshman Aliyah Williams and junior Luka van der Merwe, competing as individuals for the Rebels, were tied for 76th at 10-over 82.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

At Johann Memorial Field, Taylor Steinke scored once in each half to lead Colorado State past the Rebels 5-2 in a Mountain West match.

Caeley Lordemann had a goal and an assist for the Rams (12-5-1, 7-3), who dealt UNLV (4-13-1, 1-8-1) its third straight loss.

Marcella Brooks and Malika Markham scored for the Rebels, who held a 16-15 edge in shots. Colorado State had a 12-8 advantage in shots on goal.

Rebels backup goalkeeper Elly Reynada was pressed into action after starter Emberly Sevilla was injured Friday. Then Reynada was forced from Sunday’s match after a collision in the 63rd minute.

Freshman Amaya Pidsosny replaced Reynada and promptly stopped a penalty kick on her first collegiate play.

Reynada had five saves and allowed four goals; Pidsosny had one save and allowed one goal. Gabi McDonald had six saves and allowed two goals for the Rams.

Colorado State opened a 3-0 lead in the first half on goals by Steinke, Liv Layton and Kristen Noonan before Brooks put UNLV on the board in the final minute before intermission.

Steinke scored again barely two minutes into the second half. Markham converted a pass from Katie Ballou in the 67th minute, and Lordemann capped the scoring in the 83rd.

MEN’S SOCCER

At Johann Memorial Field, Jordi Cobo scored the tiebreaking goal in the 72nd minute to lift Houston Baptist past the Rebels 3-1 in a Western Athletic Conference match.

Jorge Cabrera had nine saves for the Huskies (5-9, 3-5), who were outshot 24-15 but halted a three-match win streak by UNLV (5-10-1, 3-4-1).

Timo Mehlich put four of his match-high eight shots on goal for the Rebels, who held an 11-7 edge in shots on goal.

Marco Gonzalez opened the scoring for UNLV in the 13th minute, with an assist by Nico Clausen. Houston Baptist tied it in the 23rd minute on a goal by Tim Ugo, assisted by Elijah Le.

Cobo’s goal put the Huskies up 2-1, and Thomas Menke capped the scoring in the 79th minute, with an assist by Gianluca Natera.

Enrique Adame had three saves for the Rebels.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

At Riverside, Calif., sophomore Julia Filippova placed first in three events and was part of a winning relay team, and sophomore Ivan Zukov placed first in two events to lead the Rebels to a sweep of California Baptist on Saturday.

Filippova won the 50-yard freestyle (24.18 seconds), 200 freestyle (1:50.35) and 500 freestyle (4:57.41) and was part of UNLV’s winning 200 freestyle relay (1:35.08) as the women won 220-80.

Zukov won the 200 breaststroke (2:06.43) and 400 individual medley (4:04.32) in the men’s team’s 168.5 to 125.5 win.

Other winners for the women were sophomore Montse Moreno (1-meter diving, 261.83; 3-meter diving, 287.10), junior Kate Afanasyeva (100 backstroke, 55.98; 100 butterfly, 56.17), freshman Diana Neagu (1,000 freestyle, 10:26.53), sophomore Filio Raftopoulou (200 backstroke, 2:02.86), sophomore Teneka Ash (200 butterfly, 2:04.95) and sophomore Carissa Armijo (400 individual medley, 4:28.41).

Other winners for the men were freshman Cameron Castro (1,000 freestyle, 9:31.47), senior Hayden Hemmens (200 freestyle, 1:39.04), freshman Panos Bolanos (100 backstroke, 49.39), junior Sean Gage (100 breaststroke, 57.26), sophomore Michal Cukanow (200 butterfly, 1:51.83), freshman Ogi Maric (200 backstroke, 1:50.07), freshman Christopher Mykkanen (500 freestyle, 4:33.35) and sophomore Casey McEuen (100 butterfly, 50.17).