CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team came up just short in the opening round of the Mountain East Conference Women's Tennis Tournament Friday afternoon in Charleston, West Virginia. The Cavaliers (7-7, 3-4 MEC) were edged by the Lady Bobcats of West Virginia Wesleyan (7-3, 4-3 MEC) in a very close 5-4 decision.
 
Taking on West Virginia Wesleyan in the opening round of the MEC tournament for the third straight year, the Cavs played the Lady Bobcats for the second time in six days. UVa-Wise came out on the losing end of a 7-2 match in last Saturday's regular season contest with West Virginia Wesleyan.
 
The Cavs grabbed a 2-1 lead after doubles play behind an 8-0 win at No. 1 doubles by sophomore Daria Tyshchenko and junior Bailey Christoforatos over West Virginia Wesleyan's Mariona Junyer and Kasumi Hayashi. At No. 2 doubles it was the duo of sophomore Marti Gay and freshman Mackenzie Lawson who took down the Lady Bobcats' Julia Uchoa and Sarah Cameron 8-4. The doubles pair of seniors Haley Thacker and Junetta Nuckels suffered just their second loss of the season, falling 8-5 to Paula Pimenta and Sydney Stansberry of West Virginia Wesleyan at the third spot.
 
Singles play proved to be difficult for the Cavs as the Lady Bobcats claimed four of the six singles matches for the team win. UVa-Wise's two seniors, Thacker and Nuckels, earned victories for the Cavs as Nuckels defeated the Lady Bobcats' Stansberry 6-1, 6-1 at No. 6 singles and Thacker took down Hayashi of West Virginia Wesleyan 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 singles.
 
At No. 1 singles first-team All-MEC selection Tyshchenko was unable to overcome a close first-set loss and fell to West Virginia Wesleyan's Pimenta 7-5, 6-1. Uchoa of West Virginia Wesleyan defeated Gay 6-2, 6-1 at the fifth singles spot, while Christoforatos was only able to win two games in a 6-1, 6-1 loss to the Lady Bobcats' Junyer.
 
The first-round tournament match came down to No. 5 singles where Lawson came back from a 6-2 first-set loss to win the second set 6-2 against West Virginia Wesleyan's Cameron. However, Lawson was unable to prevail in the third set, losing 6-1 as the Lady Bobcats clinched the match for the 5-4 team win.
 
West Virginia Wesleyan now advances to the MEC tournament semifinals to take on top-seeded West Virigina State tomorrow.
 
Today's loss marks the third consecutive year UVa-Wise has bowed out in the first round of the MEC tournament to West Virginia Wesleyan. As the fourth seed in the tournament a year ago the Cavs were defeated 5-1 by the fifth-seeded Lady Bobcats, after a 5-4 win over West Virginia Wesleyan in Wise during the regular season. In 2013 the No. 4 seed Lady Bobcats got the best of the Cavs in the first round of the tournament as well, claiming a 5-2 victory against No. 5 seed UVa-Wise.
 
The Cavs will now have the rest of the fall and winter off from competition before returning to the courts for their non-conference spring season starting in late February.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
West Virginia Wesleyan 5, UVa-Wise 4
 
Singles
1. Paula Pimenta (WVW) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 7-5, 6-1
2. Mariona Junyer (WVW) def. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) 6-1, 6-1
3. Haley Thacker (WISE) def. Kasumi Hayashi (WVW) 6-3, 6-3
4. Julia Uchoa (WVW) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-2, 6-1
5. Sarah Cameron (WVW) def. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
6. Junetta Nuckels (WISE) def. Sydney Stansberry (WVW) 6-1, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) def. Mariona Junyer/Kasumi Hayashi (WVW) 8-0
2. Marti Gay/Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Julia Uchoa/Sarah Cameron (WVW) 8-4
3. Paula Pimenta/Sydney Stansberry (WVW) def. Haley Thacker/Junetta Nuckels (WISE) 8-5