FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team was handed a 7-2 loss at the hands of West Virginia Wesleyan at a neutral site Saturday, ending the Cavaliers (6-6, 3-4 MEC) three-match winning streak. UVa-Wise had won five of its past six matches entering today's contest.
 
The loss determined the Cavs' seeding for the upcoming Mountain East Conference Women's Tennis Championship held next Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16-18, in Charleston, West Virginia. The Cavs will enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed while West Virginia Wesleyan (5-3, 3-3 MEC) will be the fourth seed. The two teams will play each other once again Friday in the opening round of the tournament.
 
UVa-Wise took the top doubles but was unable to win at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles despite close matches in each. The duo of sophomore Daria Tyshchenko and junior Bailey Christoforatos defeated West Virginia Wesleyan's Mariona Junyer and Kasumi Hayashi 8-1 at No. 1 doubles.
 
Sophomore Marti Gay and freshman Mackenzie Lawson at the second spot, falling 8-6 to the Lady Bobcats' Sarah Cameron and Julia Uchoa. Seniors Haley Thacker and Junetta Nuckels suffered their first loss of the season as a doubles pair, losing a close match 9-7 to Paula Pimenta and Sydney Stansberry of West Virginia State.
 
Heading into singles play down 2-1 the Cavs were in search of wins and claimed a win at the third spot as Thacker downed the Lady Bobcats' Hayashi, 6-1, 7-6 (3). However, that would be the Cavs lone singles point.
 
Gay and Lawson lost by identical scores at the No. 4 and No. 5 positions as Gay was defeated by Uchoa (6-4, 6-3) and Lawson fell to Cameron (6-4, 6-3). Nuckels claimed six total games in her match against West Virginia State's Stansberry, losing 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.
 
Tyshchenko came up short against the Lady Bobcats' Pimenta (6-1, 6-3) at the top singles spot, while Christoforatos was handed a 6-1, 6-1 loss at the second position by Junyer of West Virginia State.
 
The Cavs will have less than 24 hours before their next match and final contest of the fall regular season. UVa-Wise faces Davis & Elkins Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Elkins, West Virginia.
 
Following tomorrow's match the Cavs will take on West Virginia Wesleyan once again in the opening round of the MEC tournament this upcoming Friday, Oct. 16. Last season the Lady Bobcats defeated UVa-Wise 5-1 in the conference tournament as the fifth seed and the Cavs were the No. 4 seed.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
West Virginia Wesleyan 7, UVa-Wise 2
 
Singles
1. Paula Pimenta (WVW) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 6-1, 6-3
2. Mariona Junyer (WVW) def. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) 6-1, 6-1
3. Haley Thacker (WISE) def. Kasumi Hayashi (WVW) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Julia Uchoa (WVW) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-4, 6-3
5. Sarah Cameron (WVW) def. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 6-4, 6-3
6. Sydney Stansberry (WVW) def. Junetta Nuckels (WISE) 6-4, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) def. Mariona Junyer/Kasumi Hayashi (WVW) 8-1
2. Sarah Cameron/Julia Uchoa (WVW) def. Marti Gay/Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 8-6
3. Paula Pimenta/Sydney Stansberry (WVW) def. Haley Thacker/Junetta Nuckels (WISE) 9-7