Malec proves streak wasn’t a fluke

Thursday, Sept. 30, 1999 | 9:58 a.m.

Katarina Malec, a senior on the UNLV women's tennis team, proved last weekend that her astonishing 70-0 junior-college record was no fluke.

Malec, who transferred to UNLV after spending two years at College of the Desert in Palm Springs, Calif., upset four ranked players and won the singles consolation draw of the 1999 T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Championships last weekend in Pikesville, Md.

Malec, who was unranked in the preseason poll, won three matches during qualifying at the Collegiate Grand Slam event to earn a spot in the main draw. One of those victories was a pro-set style 8-3 win over 61st-ranked Ivana Belancic of Mississippi State.

Malec fell in the first round of the main draw, 6-4, 6-2, to 17th-ranked Aarthi Venkatesan of Georgia. However, the native of Warsaw, Poland, won her next four matches in the consolation round -- all in straight sets.

In the second round of consolation, Malec defeated 38th-ranked Elisa Penalvo of Marquette, 6-4, 6-0. She then swept 51st-ranked Katja Kovac of Baylor, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals and upset 47th-ranked Jessica Lehnhoff of Florida, 6-4, 6-1, for the title.

Malec played sparingly last year at the top spot for the Lady Rebels because of injuries. With a 7-1 singles record, she has as many wins this fall as all of last season when she went 7-5 in singles play.

The former junior-college champion transferred to UNLV from the College of the Desert after going undefeated in 70 singles matches for the Roadrunners in 1997-98.

* VOLLEYBALL: Fresh off a victory at rival Nevada-Reno Tuesday night that improved their record to 8-3, the Rebels will host their first Mountain West Conference match at 7 p.m. Saturday against San Diego State in Lied Gymnasium.

* WOMEN'S SOCCER: The Rebels will bring a three-match winning streak into Friday's 7 p.m. contest against Kentucky (6-2-1) at Johann Field.

UNLV (5-3-1) is coming off a 2-1 double-overtime victory over Cal State Northridge at home Sunday night. Thyre Brooks connected on a corner kick in the second overtime period to lift the Rebels. Anita Pedford added a goal and an assist.

* MEN'S SOCCER: The UNLV men's soccer team, also carrying a three-match winning streak, heads East this weekend for games at Vanderbilt on Friday and Western Kentucky on Sunday.

The Rebels (5-4) are coming off their first tournament championship in four attempts after capturing the UNM Invitational last weekend in Albuquerque with wins over Air Force and Centenary.

* CROSS COUNTRY: The Rebels' distance runners have this weekend off in preparation for the Long Beach Invitational Oct. 9 in Long Beach, Calif.

Five different UNLV runners posted career-best times in last weekend's Sundodger Invitational in Seattle, led by Stephanie Davidson's 18th-place finish in 18:01. Jenni Nelson, Katie Barto, Kathryn Goetz and Rhonda Kilfoyle also set personal bests in the meet.

UNLV finished sixth out of 11 teams in Seattle.

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