MIAMI, Fla. – UTEP advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Conference USA women's tennis championships with a 4-0 dual match victory over Sam Houston Thursday. 

Playing shorthanded due to injuries during the final weeks of the season, the Bearkats closed out their first spring as a CUSA member. The Miners will take on No. 1 seed and tournament host FIU on Friday in the second round.  

Sam Houston had to default the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles matches.  
 
The Miners opened by winning the doubles point with set victories at Nos. 1 and the default at No. 3. The No. 2 match was stopped when the doubles point was clinched. 

UTEP closed out the victory with singles wins at Nos. 4 and 5 and another default at the No. 6 position. 

All nine CUSA league members are participating in the tournament. At stake is the CUSA's berth in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. 

The quarterfinal matches include No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech versus No. 5 WKU, No. 2 seed Liberty against No. 7 NM State, No. 3 seed Jax State versus No. 6 Middle Tennessee and No. 1 seed FIU versus UTEP. 

UTEP 4, Sam Houston 0 
4/18/24 at Miami, Fla. (FIU Tennis Center) 

Singles competition 
1. Paula Cerda (SHSU) vs. Veronika Lebisova (UTEP) 4-6, 3-5, unfinished 
2. India Fenieys (SHSU) vs. Carlotta Mencaglia (UTEP) 6-2, 3-6, 1-1, unfinished  
3. Sahithi Vutukuru (SHSU) vs. Elena DiBattista (UTEP) 0-6, 6-4, unfinished 
4. Hanna Telzynski (UTEP) def. Roberta Sechi (SHSU) 6-0, 6-3 
5. Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) def. Vianne Schwab (SHSU) 6-0, 7-5 
6. Paloma Hennicaux (UTEP) def. No player (SHSU), by default 

Doubles competition 
1. Veronika Lebisova/Zuzanna Szczepanska (UTEP) def. Vianne Schwab/Roberta Sechi (SHSU) 6-0 2. Paula Cerda/Sahithi Vutukuru (SHSU) vs. Carlotta Mencaglia/Hanna Telzynski (UTEP) 3-2, unfinished 
3. DeCora Antoine/Elena DiBattista (UTEP) def. No player/No player (SHSU), by default