WISE, Va. – On senior day in Wise the UVa-Wise women's tennis team earned a 6-3 win over National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Bluefield College Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Cavaliers (6-5, 3-3) claimed their fifth consecutive win at home and their third victory in a row by defeating the Rams (0-1), who were playing in their first dual match of the fall season. Today's match was the Cavs final fall season contest at the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex.
 
Prior to the start of the match the team honored seniors Haley Thacker and Junetta Nuckels. Thacker, a native of Elizabethton, Tennessee (Elizabethton H.S.) is a nursing major, while Nuckels is a native of Richlands, Virginia (Richlands H.S.), and majoring in chemistry. Both Thacker and Nuckels went 2-0 Tuesday, winning their singles and doubles matches.
 
Due to Bluefield College being unable to bring six players to the match, the Cavs automatically earned wins by default at the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles spots.
 
Playing singles first, the Cavs claimed wins at the No. 3-5 positions as Thacker defeated the Rams' Rebecca Havens 6-2, 6-0 at the third spot. Freshman Mackenzie Lawson earned a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Anastasiia Pavlukova of Bluefield College at No. 4 singles while Nuckels was a 6-1, 6-2 winner against the Rams' MyKenzie Roach at No. 5. Lawson's match at the fourth spot clinched the team win for UVa-Wise and improved her record to 3-0 at No. 4 singles on the season.
 
Sophomore Daria Tyshchenko and junior Bailey Christoforatos were both unable to get wins in singles as Tyshchenko was defeated 6-2, 6-2 at the top spot by Gema Mendoza of Bluefield College and Christoforatos fell 6-1, 6-2 at No. 2 singles to the Rams' Paloma Sanchez.
 
In doubles action it was the dynamic duo of Thacker and Nuckels who claimed an 8-4 win at second doubles to remain undefeated as a pair. Bluefield College's Mendoza and Sanchez proved to be too much at No. 1 doubles, handing Tyshchenko and Christoforatos an 8-2 loss.
 
The Cavs will now hit the road for their final two matches of the fall season. UVa-Wise travels to Fairmont, West Virginia, to take on MEC foe West Virginia Wesleyan in a neutral site match Saturday at 1 p.m. before stepping out of conference to face Davis & Elkins College Sunday.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
UVa-Wise 6, Bluefield College 3
 
Singles
1. Gema Mendoza (BLUC) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 6-2, 6-2
2. Paloma Sanchez (BLUC) def. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) 6-1, 6-2
3. Haley Thacker (WISE) def. Rebecca Havens (BLUC) 6-2, 6-0
4. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Anastasiia Pavlukova (BLUC) 6-2, 6-2
5. Junetta Nuckels (WISE) def. MyKenzie Roach (BLUC) 6-1, 6-2
6. Marti Gay (WISE) def. No player (BLUC), by default
 
Doubles
1. Gema Mendoza/Paloma Sanchez (BLUC) def. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) 8-2
2. Haley Thacker/Junetta Nuckels (WISE) def. Rebecca Havens/MyKenzie Roach (BLUC) 8-4
3. Marti Gay/Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. No player/No player (BLUC), by default