BYU Blanks Colorado State at MWC Tennis Championship

LAS VEGAS -- The day's final match at the Fertitta Tennis Complex ended just like the three before it as 47th-ranked BYU shut out Colorado State 5-0 to

advance during the first round of the inaugural Mountain West Conference Women's Tennis Championship Thursday.

The four higher seeds shut out their opponents in the first round and the third-seeded Cougars did not lose a set in taking all five completed singles

matches.

Winning for BYU were 92nd-ranked Eline Chiew at No. 1, Jodi Richardson at No. 2, Kim Kelly at No. 3, Dominique Reynolds at No. 5 and Lu Oswald at No. 6.

The match at No. 4 was halted and doubles play was canceled.

"We played well at most spots today," BYU head coach Craig Manning said. "It was tough out there with the heat and the wind and I'm glad we got a match in under those conditions because it is supposed to be cooler Friday."

The Cougars, who improved to 10-8 overall and 4-1 in the MWC, will play second seed New Mexico Friday at 2 p.m. in one semifinal. Sixth-seeded Colorado

State, which dropped to 10-10 and 2-2, will take on Wyoming, which was a 6-0 loser to the Lobos.

"New Mexico is going to be a tough match," Manning said. "We beat them when we played at BYU, but we'll have to be at our best."

The other semifinal features host UNLV vs. top-seeded San Diego State.

MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

First Round -- Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas -- April 27, 2000

(3) BYU 5, (6) COLORADO STATE 0

SINGLES--

1. Eline Chiew (BYU) def. Amanda Bartz (CSU) 6-0, 6-1

2. Jodi Richardson (BYU) def. Heidi Auvinen (CSU) 6-2, 6-1

3. Kim Kelly (BYU) def. Sanja Hansson (CSU) 6-4, 6-4

4. Tara Ferguson (BYU) vs. Allison Lisle (CSU) halted

at 3-6, 6-3, 3-3

5. Dominique Reynolds (BYU) def. Bobbe Vasos (CSU) 6-0, 6-0

6. Lu Oswald (BYU) def. Catherine Sullivan (CSU) 6-2, 7-5