FINAL SCORES

ABILENE, Texas (SMU) – The Mustangs earned their first win of the season in dominant 6-1 fashion at their opening dual match at ACU on Sunday afternoon.

"It was a great trip to Abilene," head coach Jeff Nevolo said. "ACU competed hard and tested us in doubles and at a number of singles spots."

SMU (1-0) started strong, earning the doubles win with two duos defeating their Wildcat (1-3) opponents. Jackie Nylander and Isabella Tcherkes Zade won 6-4 on Court 1 while Claudia Bartolome and Sarai Monarrez Yesaki earned a 7-5 win on Court 2 to secure the first Mustang point.

The Mustangs dominated in singles, earning all but one point. Freshmen Nylander and Tcherkes Zade both earned their first career singles points in a dual match, winning their matchups 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0, 6-0, respectively. In the fourth spot, Claudia Bartolome secured her point and the team win with a 6-2, 6-4 final.

Nicole Petchey and Tiffany Hollebeck ensured the win by earning both of their points. Petchey finished 6-1, 6-1 for an easy Mustang point. Hollebeck dropped her first set, 4-6, but rallied back to win the second, 6-3. In the tiebreaking set, a 10-5 finish gave her the win in the sixth spot.

"I was impressed with our fight and composure today," Nevolo said. "It was a long day with a late start and the team handled that really well. It was great for Tiffany to finish out her match and get a win in three sets. It's also exciting that Jackie and Isabella got their first dual match wins in their young careers as Mustangs. There's a lot to work on as a team, but also a lot to be excited about."

Up next, SMU takes on Colorado State at 11:30 a.m. and McNeese at 5:30 p.m. on February 1 at the SMU Tennis Complex. The double header will be the season's home-opener for the Mustangs.