WISE, Va. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team came out on the losing end of a 6-3 decision against the University of Pikeville Wednesday evening at the Jim & Betty Humphreys Tennis Complex. The match was the Cavaliers (7-8) first of the spring non-conference season.
 
The Bears (3-1) took two out of the three doubles matches and four out of the six singles matches to come away with a road win over the Cavs. Down 4-3 as a team, the Cavs played close singles matches at the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 positions but could not get the necessary victories.
 
Seniors Haley Thacker (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Junetta Nuckels (Richlands, Va.) highlighted doubles play with an 8-3 win over Pikeville's Bryanna Schoers and Haley Justice at the third spot. Sophomore Daria Tyshchenko (Kirovograd, Ukraine) and junior Bailey Christoforatos (Fredericksburg, Va.) claimed four games at the top doubles spot against Macarena Acuna and Mounia Sami of Pikeville but were defeated 8-4, while the Bear's Thais Bezerra and Cailee Marcum got the best of freshman Mackenzie Lawson (Wise, Va.) and sophomore Serena Burgess (Dumfries, Va.) at No. 3 doubles.
 
Both Lawson and Nuckels made quick work of their opponents at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively, as each won 6-0, 6-0 to give the Cavs a 3-2 lead. Lawson defeated the Bear's Marcum at the fifth spot and Nuckels claimed the win over Pikeville's Schoers at No. 6 singles.
 
Tyshchenko found herself in a tough battle with Acuna of Pikeville at the top singles spot, falling by a score of 6-2, 6-1 and evening up the match at 3-3.
 
Despite a tight first set, sophomore Marti Gay (Denton, Texas) was defeated 6-4, 6-1 at the fourth singles spot by the Bear's Justice as Thacker dropped a 6-2, 6-4 decision at No. 3 singles to Bezerra of Pikeville.
 
In the final match of the night, Christoforatos played a hard fought match against Pikeville's Sami with the first set coming down to a tiebreaker. Sami edged Christoforatos 7-3 in the first-set breaker before taking set two by a score of 6-3.
 
Wednesday's contest was the only match the UVa-Wise women's team will play this spring as three contests were canceled due to weather. The Cavs were originally scheduled to play three non-conference road matches at Lincoln Memorial University, Maryville College and Montreat College earlier this spring season but will now prepare for next fall's championship season.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
University of Pikeville 6, UVa-Wise 3
 
Singles
1. Macarena Acuna (PIKE) def. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) 6-2, 6-1
2. Mounia Sami (PIKE) def. B. Christoforatos (WISE) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3
3. Thais Bezerra (PIKE) def. Haley Thacker (WISE) 6-2, 6-4
4. Haley Justice (PIKE) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-4, 6-1
5. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Cailee Marcum (PIKE) 6-0, 6-0
6. Junetta Nuckels (WISE) def. Bryanna Schoers (PIKE) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles
1. Macarena Acuna/Mounia Sami (PIKE) def. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) 8-4
2. Thais Bezerra/Cailee Marcum (PIKE) def. Mackenzie Lawson/Serena Burgess (WISE) 8-0
3. Haley Thacker/Junetta Nuckels (WISE) def. Bryanna Schoers/Haley Justice (PIKE) 8-3