The Lady Raiders lost one player three weeks ago and then lost Michaela Gridling after Saturday's match when the senior was taken to the hospital with dehydration.

Middle Tennessee lost the doubles point to start the match, the third match this weekend the squad has dropped the opening point.

New Mexico State's Stella Veerman and Caroline Blechschmidt started off the doubles with an 8-5 win over Tanja Buchheim and Emily Vest at No. 3. Middle Tennessee's Manon Kruse and Jennifer Klaschka evened the doubles with an 8-5 victory at No. 1 over Claire Hamilton and Harriet Piercy.

Carien Venter and Stacy Varnell held a 7-4 edge at No. 2 for the Blue Raiders, but were unable to hold the lead, dropping a 9-7 decision to Lejla Porobic and Elke Blodau.

In singles, Vest lost, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 6 to Blechschmidt, and Venter dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Porobic at No. 5. The 33rd-ranked Cruse kept the Lady Raiders in the match with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Veerman at No. 1, but Buchheim lost to Blodau, 6-0, 6-4, at No. 4 to end the match.

Klaschka and Varnell split sets in the other two matches and were both leading in the third when the matches were stopped.

The Lady Raiders end the season sixth in the conference and 13-10 overall. Cruse and the doubles pairing of Cruse and Varnell, currently ranked 12th, should make the NCAA Tournament next month in Palo Alto, Calif.

#72 NEW MEXICO STATE 4, #61 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 1
SINGLES
(33) Manon Kruse (MT) def. Stella Veerman (NMSU), 6-2, 6-0
Jennifer Klaschka (MT) vs. Claire Hamilton (NMSU), DNF
Elke Blodau (NMSU) def. Tanja Buchheim (MT), 6-0, 6-4
Harriet Piercy (NMSU) def. Carien Venter (MT), 6-2, 6-2
Stacy Varnell (MT) vs. Lejla Porobic (NMSU), DNF
Caroline Blechschmidt (NMSU) def. Emily Vest (MT), 6-1, 6-1

DOUBLES
Klaschka-Cruse (MT) def. Hamilton-Piercy (NMSU), 8-5
Porobic-Blodau (NMSU) def. Varnell-Venter (MT), 9-7
Veerman-Blechschmidt (NMSU) def. Vest-Buchheim (MT), 8-5

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