UNLV women’s tennis team rides ‘Great Wall of China’ to 15-0 start

Led by a virtual Great Wall of China, the UNLV women’s tennis team is off to the best start in school history.

Chinese players Carol Zi Yang and Aiwen Zhu — who were ranked No. 41 in the nation in doubles earlier this season — have helped the Rebels to a 15-0 start. UNLV can match the longest win streak (16 matches) in school history Wednesday with a victory over perennial power Oklahoma at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.

Yang, a junior transfer from Shenzhen, China, is ranked No. 61 in the nation in singles, where she’s 16-2 overall and 8-1 in the No. 1 position in duals. Zhu, a freshman from Wuxi, China, is 19-6 in singles and 4-0 at the top spot in duals. They are 12-1 as a doubles team and 10-0 at the No. 1 position in duals.

“They’re a great one-two punch. They’re as good as anyone in college tennis,” Rebels coach Kevin Cory said. “They’re the exact kind of kids you want to have on your team. They work hard, they get good grades and they’re great leaders. Plus, they’re exceptional tennis players.”

Yang, who has been ranked as high as No. 303 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association, is the highest-ranked player in UNLV history.

“She’s got a world-class backhand and is a really good counter puncher,” Cory said. “She really makes you earn any point you win against her. She’s very difficult to beat because she doesn’t beat herself.”

Because of that, when Cory pairs a player with Yang in practice, he’ll joke that ‘You’re with The Great Wall of China.’

“It’s funny,” Zhu said of “The Great Wall” nickname. “It’s so hard to win the point from Carol.”

Yang and Zhu have been close friends since they met at age 12 at a national tournament in their native China. When Yang learned Zhu was interested in attending school in the United States, she helped recruit her to UNLV.

“I heard she wanted to go to college here, so I kept telling her to come here,” Yang said.

Zhu said Yang is the main reason she came to UNLV.

“She came first and I followed her,” Zhu said. “She persuaded me. She helps me a lot. Before I came here, she rented an apartment and bought furniture and set up everything perfect.”

The players complement each other perfectly in doubles.

“We’re different types of players,” Yang said. “Aiwen moves a lot at the net, which helps us a lot. I just play at the baseline.”

Cory said they’re almost complete opposites on the court.

“Carol makes you hit 20 balls. Aiwen’s very aggressive. She likes to take the first ball and dictate points,” he said. “So when they play each other in practice, they have some amazing points. They’ve really brought up the level of our practices.”

The newcomers have each earned Mountain West Player of the Week honors this season, with Yang upsetting two nationally ranked players from Florida in January in her UNLV debut. They suffered their only doubles loss to the nation’s second-ranked duo from North Carolina.

Yang and Zhu don’t keep their ancient Chinese language secret.

“Normally, when doubles partners talk strategy, they talk secretly. But we’re yelling it,” Zhu said. “We can talk Chinese and nobody can understand.”

• PAOLA POWER — Paola Artiga, a junior from El Salvador, is thriving as UNLV’s No. 3 player. Backed by a big forehand, the 5-foot-4-inch Artiga is 24-4 overall and 15-0 in dual matches at the No. 3 spot.

“She’s been showing tremendous leadership,” Cory said. “She’s really stepped up and is coming through time and time again.”

• REBEL RAPIDS — Lina Rathsack will represent UNLV at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships from Thursday to Saturday in Atlanta. A junior from Germany, Rathsack will compete in the 200 individual medley Thursday, the 100 breaststroke Friday and the 200 breaststroke Saturday.

• SOFTBALL OUTBURST — The UNLV softball team tied the school record for runs in a game in its 20-1 victory over Santa Clara on Friday night in the Rebel Classic at Eller Media Stadium.

Myranda Bueno went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and matched the school record for most doubles in a game with three for the Rebels (13-10), who scored 14 runs in the fourth inning. Kwyn Cooper (6-4) tossed a two-hitter, then pitched a 3-0 shutout Saturday against Wisconsin.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33.

Schedule

Baseball

vs. Ohio State, Wilson Stadium, 6:05 p.m. Tuesday; at Fresno State, Fresno, Calif., 6:05 p.m. Friday, 6:05 p.m. Saturday

Women’s Golf

at Arizona Wildcat Invitational, Tucson, Ariz., today and Tuesday

Men’s Soccer

vs. Mount San Antonio College and Albion SC Pros, exhibition, Johann Memorial Field, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday

Softball

at Easton Tournament, Riverside, Calif.: vs. Arkansas, 4 p.m. Friday; vs. Nebraska, 6:30 p.m. Friday; vs. Grand Canyon, 6 p.m. Saturday

Swimming and Diving

at NCAA Women’s Championships, Atlanta, Thursday-Saturday