SILVER CITY, N.M. – The No. 38 Texas A&M University-Kingsville women's tennis program closed out the conference portion of the regular season on Saturday at the WNMU Tennis Courts with a convincing 7-2 win over Western New Mexico.

The Javelinas (12-10, 4-2 LSC) carried a 2-1 lead in the team score following doubles play and converted wins in five of the singles bouts to defeat the Mustangs (2-18, 0-6 LSC) on their home court.

TAMUK started the match off with consecutive 8-1 wins in doubles play as sophomore Victoria Romanovskaia (Simferpol, Crimea) and senior Viviana Ortiz (Guayaquil, Ecuador) bested Kaycie Cormier and Christine Roerick at the No. 3 flight before sophomore Valerie Ruiz (San Antonio, Texas) and junior Phonephathep Philavong (Vientiane, Laos) overcame Nadia Justiniano and Karina Diaz in the No. 2 bout.

The Blue and Gold carried the momentum into singles play as the first three matches to finish were the Nos. 4 through 6 matchups.

Ruiz took a straight-set win at the No. 5 spot over Roerick with identical 6-1 finals, while sophomore Stephanie Baerman (San Antonio, Texas) turned in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Cormier at the No. 6 match before sophomore Julia Rauer (Sasbach, Germany) defeated Karina Diaz with a perfect 6-0, 6-0 decision at the No. 4 bout.

The remaining three singles matchups went three sets as WNMU took the No. 3 flight, while Philavong battled back from a 7-6 loss in the opening set with a 6-2, 10-5 final in the No. 2 matchup against Justiniano that was followed up with Romanovskaia using a 7-5, 10-4 final to complete the comeback after dropping the opening set to Klara Smolikova.

The Javelinas will have one final match of the regular season as they head to San Antonio on Tuesday, April 17, for a matchup against No. 7 St. Mary's. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT at the Rorbach Stadium Tennis Complex.

Tennis Match Results
Tex. A&M-Kingsville vs Western N.M.
Apr 14, 2018 at Silver City, N.M.
(WNMU Tennis Courts)

#38 Tex. A&M-Kingsville 7, Western N.M. 2

Singles competition
1. Vic Romanovskaia (TAMUK) def. Klara Smolikova (WNMU) 2-6, 7-5, 10-4
2. Thep Philavong (TAMUK) def. Nadia Justiniano (WNMU) 6-7, 6-2, 10-5
3. Jeanne Kolb (WNMU) def. Laura Montalvo (TAMUK) 6-4, 4-6, 10-5
4. Julia Rauer (TAMUK) def. Karina Diaz (WNMU) 6-0, 6-0
5. Valerie Ruiz (TAMUK) def. Christine Roerick (WNMU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Stephanie Baerman (TAMUK) def. Kaycie Cormier (WNMU) 6-1, 6-2

Doubles competition
1. Klara Smolikova/Jeanne Kolb (WNMU) def. Laura Montalvo/Stephanie Baerman (TAMUK) 9-7
2. Valerie Ruiz/Thep Philavong (TAMUK) def. Nadia Justiniano/Karina Diaz (WNMU) 8-1
3. Vic Romanovskaia/Viviana Ortiz (TAMUK) def. Kaycie Cormier/Christine Roerick (WNMU) 8-1

Match Notes:
Tex. A&M-Kingsville 12-10, 4-2 LSC; National ranking #38; Regional ranking #7
Western N.M. 2-18, 0-6 LSC
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (5,6,4,3,2,1)

#####