April 29, 2017
Las Vegas, Nev.----- Sophomore Tamara Culibrk and Miyo Kobayashi combined to win in doubles and each won a straight-set singles match to power San Jose State University to a 4-0 victory over the Air Force Academy in a Mountain West Women's Tennis Championship semifinal contest.
The #3-seeded Spartans (13-7) will face host and #1-seed UNLV for the 2017 Mountain West championship, Sunday, April 30, at 11:00 a.m. in the Fertittta Tennis Complex.
Unlike San Jose State's 4-3 quarterfinal round win over the University of New Mexico that went down to the final match, the Spartans took control from the start with Culibrk and Kobayashi teaming at #3-doubles for a convincing 6-1 triumph over Air Force's Lily Forlini and Nadeen Lieberman. The Spartans took a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard with a doubles sweep after Sybille Gauvain and Marie Klocker won at #1 doubles over Elizabeth Barnickel and T.J. Fumagalli, 6-4.
"We knew Air Force beat Fresno State (yesterday). We needed to be very focused and not have any thoughts about another upset. We need to come out and get the doubles point," said San Jose State women's tennis head coach Chad Skorupka.
Kobayashi led the singles assault promptly dispatching Forlini, 6-0, 6-0 at the #5 position. After #3-singles player Marine Dans defeated Barnickel, 6-2, 6-1, Culibrk clinched the match by the same score over Lieberman at #4-singles.
"Miyo was frustrated with her play yesterday. She played to her potential and played with a lot of confidence today," Skorupka said about the sophomore from Thailand who lost both her matches against New Mexico in the quarterfinal round.
San Jose State and UNLV will be meeting for the second time this season. In regular season action, the Spartans edged the Rebels, 4-3. San Jose State won at #1 and #3 doubles and had singles wins by Kobayashi at #5, Klocker at #2 and Rey at #6.
"The first match doesn't mean anything now. We have to go out there and give our best effort. We're on their home court and we're the underdog. Tomorrow, we have to take it from them," the San Jose State coach concluded.  
San Jose State University women's tennis
Mountain West Championship
Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas, Nev.
April 29, 2017
Semifinal round: San Jose State (SJSU) 4, Air Force (AFA) 0
| Doubles |
| Sybille Gauvain & Marie Klocker (SJSU) def. Elizabeth Barnickel & TJ Fumagalli (AFA), 6-4 |
| Marine Dans & Gaelle Rey (SJSU) vs. Chloe Forlini & Jocelle Rudico (AFA), 6-5 unfinished |
| Tamara Culibrk & Miyo Kobayashi (SJSU) def. Lily Forlini & Nadeen Lieberman (AFA), 6-1 |
| Order of finish -- (3, 1) |
| Singles |
| #100 Sybille Gauvain (SJSU) & Chloe Forlini (AFA), 6-4, 4-5 unfinished |
| Marie Klocker (SJSU) & TJ Fumagalli (AFA), 6-2, 1-6, 3-0 unfinished |
| Marine Dans (SJSU) & Elizabeth Barnickel (AFA), 6-2, 6-1 |
| Tamara Culibrk (SJSU) def. Nadeen Lieberman (AFA), 6-2, 6-1 |
| Miyo Kobayashi (SJSU) & Lily Forlini (AFA), 6-0, 6-0 |
| Gaelle Rey (SJSU) & Jocelle Rudico (AFA), 6-3, 5-3 unfinished |
| Order of finish -- (5, 3, 4) |
| Team records -- San Jose State, 13-7; Air Force, 18-10. |