DENVER – The Texas A&M University-Kingsville women's tennis program was locked in a bitter struggle on Tuesday at the Regency Athletic Complex against Metro State following an evened team score with one singles matchup remaining, but couldn't secure the win and was stuck on the backend of a 5-4 decision.

The Javelinas (5-7) pushed the Roadrunners (9-6) to a third set in four of the singles matchups, but dropped three of them en route to the loss.

Victoria Romanovskaia and Viviana Ortiz secured the lone doubles win at 8-5 over the duo of Mackenzie Hotan and Linying Xiao to wrap up the first half of the match.

Stephanie Baerman and Julia Rauer were the first Javelinas to best the opposition as Baerman sat Ainsley Winterrowd down in straight sets in the No. 5 singles matchup at 6-3 and 6-1, while Rauer followed suit in the No. 4 singles matchup at 6-4 and 6-1 over Emily Kerr for a 3-2 TAMUK lead.

Metro State responded at the No. 2 singles matchup after Tabitha Porter outlasted Phonephathep Philavong in three sets, despite Philavong taking the first set at 6-2. Porter took the final two sets at 6-3 and 6-1 to even the count at 3-3.

Valerie Ruiz put TAMUK on the brink of a win after besting Linying Xiao in three sets at the No. 6 singles matchup. Xiao took the first set at 6-4 before Ruiz rebounded with a hard-fought 7-6 win in the second set and cruised to a 6-2 final in the third.

Alex Pessoa set the score at 4-4 as she took a three-set win over Romnaovskaia in the No. 1 singles matchup. Romanovskaia claimed the first set at 6-4 before Pessoa took a 6-3 and 6-4 win in the next two.

Laura Montalvo took the first set in the No. 3 singles matchup against Courtney Wright at 6-4 before the Roadrunner claimed the second set at 6-4.

The Javelina put up a fight but ultimately fell to Wright as she took the final set at 6-3.

TAMUK will wrap up its Colorado road trip with the third match of the trek against another RMAC foe. The Javelinas will face CSU-Pueblo at the Pueblo City Park Tennis Complex in Pueblo, Colo., starting at 4 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 14.

Tennis Match Results
Tex. A&M-Kingsville vs MSU Denver
Mar 13, 2018 at Denver, Colo.
(Regency Athletic Complex)
MSU Denver 5, Tex. A&M-Kingsville 4
 
Singles competition
1. Alex Pessoa (MSUD) def. Vic Romanovskaia (TAMUK) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2. Tabitha Porter (MSUD) def. Thep Philavong (TAMUK) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
3. Courtney Wright (MSUD) def. Laura Montalvo (TAMUK) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Julia Rauer (TAMUK) def. Emily Kerr (MSUD) 6-4, 6-1
5. Stephanie Baerman (TAMUK) def. Ainsley Winterrowd (MSUD) 6-3, 6-1
6. Valerie Ruiz (TAMUK) def. Linying Xiao (MSUD) 4-6, 7-6, 6-2
 
Doubles competition
1. Emily Kerr/Courtney Wright (MSUD) def. Thep Philavong/Valerie Ruiz (TAMUK) 8-5
2. Alex Pessoa/Tabitha Porter (MSUD) def. Stephanie Baerman/Laura Montalvo (TAMUK) 8-2
3. Vic Romanovskaia/Viviana Ortiz (TAMUK) def. Mackenzie Hotan/Linying Xiao (MSUD) 8-5
 
Match Notes:
Tex. A&M-Kingsville 5-7
MSU Denver 9-6
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,4,2,6,1,3)

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