WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team was defeated 7-2 Saturday afternoon in a home non-conference match against Belmont Abbey College. The Cavaliers (8-6) were only able to manage one singles win and one doubles victory against the visiting Crusaders (2-1).
 
Junior Daria Tyshchenko (Kirovograd, Ukraine) teamed up with senior Marti Gay (Denton, Texas) at the top doubles spot for a dominant 8-0 win over Teagan McNamara and Rachele Subik of Belmont Abbey. However, the Crusaders claimed the other two doubles matches when Aisiri Jandyala and Alex Weber defeated senior Bailey Christoforatos (Fredericksburg, Va.) and freshman Aya Melhem (Rockvale, Tenn.) 8-5 at No. 2 doubles, and Morgan Zahnd and Savannah Smith bested sophomore Mackenzie Lawson (Wise, Va.) and junior Serena Burgess (Dumfries, Va.) in a close 9-7 affair at the third position.
 
Christoforatos was the lone victor in singles play, claiming a three-set win at the third position over Belmont Abbey's Smith. After dropping the first set 6-4, Christoforatos came back to take the second 6-2 and then the 10-point third-set tiebreaker by a score of 10-5.
 
The Crusaders' Weber handed Lawson her first singles loss of the season with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat at No. 5 singles. Freshman Carlysle Funk (Coeburn, Va.) also dropped her first singles match of the season when she lost a 6-2, 6-0 match to Belmont Abbey's Erika Noblett at the sixth spot. Gay was topped by Subik of Belmont Abbey 6-1, 6-4 at the fourth position, while the Crusaders' Jandyala downed Tyshchenko 6-2, 6-0 at the top singles spot. Belmont Abbey's McNamara took down Melhem 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.
 
The Cavs host West Virginia State tomorrow for senior day and UVa-Wise's regular season finale. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Jim and Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex with seniors Christoforatos and Gay being honored prior to the match.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
Belmont Abbey College 7, UVa-Wise 2
 
Singles
1. Aisiri Jandyala (BELAC) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 6-2, 6-0
2. Teagan McNamara (BELAC) def. Aya Melhem (WISE) 6-0, 6-1
3. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) def. Savannah Smith (BELAC) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-5)
4. Rachele Subik (BELAC) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-1, 6-4
5. Alex Weber (BELAC) def. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 6-3, 6-3
6. Erika Noblett (BELAC) def. Carlysle Funk (WISE) 6-2, 6-0
 
Doubles
1. Daria Tyshchenko/Marti Gay (WISE) def. Teagan McNamara/Rachele Subik (BELAC) 8-0
2. Aisiri Jandyala/Alex Weber (BELAC) def. Bailey Christoforatos/Aya Melhem (WISE) 8-5
3. Morgan Zahnd/Savannah Smith (BELAC) def. Mackenzie Lawson/Serena Burgess (WISE) 9-7