INSTITUTE, W.Va. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team was shutout, 9-0, on the road at West Virginia State Saturday to open up Mountain East Conference play.
 
The Cavaliers (1-2, 0-1 MEC) played well and fought hard in doubles but were not able to come away with a win before losing all six singles matches against the Yellow Jackets (1-0, 1-0 MEC).
 
West Virginia State, who is the defending MEC tournament and regular season champions, finished last season ranked 48th nationally according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and fourth in the Atlantic Region. The Yellow Jackets were also picked to finish first in the MEC preseason poll by a vote of the league's head coaches.
 
It was the duo of freshman Mackenzie Lawson and senior Junetta Nuckels who came the closest to winning a doubles match at the No. 3 spot, falling 8-4 to West Virginia State's Brenda Cumpa and Diana Cotoros. At the No. 1 doubles position sophomore Daria Tyshchenko and junior Bailey Christoforatos came up short in an 8-2 match against the Yellow Jackets' Brittany Franco and Laura Isbey.
 
At No. 2 doubles senior Haley Thacker and sophomore Marti Gay couldn't get more than one game against West Virginia State's Charlotte Sandy and Kayla McKnight.
 
In singles Nuckels took the most games in any match as she fell 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 6 singles position to Cumpa of West Virginia State.
 
Tyshchenko took on Franco, who finished last year ranked fourth by the ITA in the Atlantic Region, at the top singles spot. The Yellow Jackets' Franco was too strong for Tyshchenko as she earned a 6-1, 6-2 win over Daria.
 
At No. 5 singles Lawson was shutout in the opening set against West Virginia State's McKnight before taking three games in the second, making for a 6-0, 6-3 loss.
 
The Cavs return to Wise tomorrow for their conference home opener, facing the University of Charleston at 12 p.m. Charleston, who was ranked fifth in the ITA Atlantic Region at the end of last season, was picked to finish second in the MEC preseason poll after finishing second in the MEC tournament a year ago. 

Full Match Results
#48 West Virginia State 9, UVa-Wise 0
 
Singles
1. Brittany Franco (WVSU) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 6-1, 6-2
2. Laura Isbey (WVSU) def. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) 6-0, 6-0
3. Charlotte Sandy (WVSU) def. Haley Thacker (WISE) 6-1, 6-1
4. Diana Cotoros (WVSU) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-0, 6-2
5. Kayla McKnight (WVSU) def. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 6-0, 6-3
6. Brenda Cumpa (WVSU) def. Junetta Nuckels (WISE) 6-2, 6-2
 
Doubles
1. Brittany Franco/Laura Isbey (WVSU) def. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) 8-2
2. Charlotte Sandy/Kayla McKnight (WVSU) def. Haley Thacker/Marti Gay (WISE) 8-1
3. Brenda Cumpa/Diana Cotoros (WVSU) def. Mackenzie Lawson/Junetta Nuckels (WISE) 8-4