WISE, Va. – UVa-Wise women's tennis was narrowly defeated by West Liberty University Saturday in the Cavaliers' Mountain East Conference and home opener. The Hilltoppers (3-0, 2-0 MEC) earned the 6-3 win over the Cavs (1-1, 0-1 MEC) despite some very close matches in both singles and doubles.
 
West Liberty swept all three doubles but not without a lot of opposition at the No. 2 spot. The duo of junior Marti Gay (Denton, Texas) and sophomore Mackenzie Lawson (Wise, Va.) held a 7-4 lead on West Liberty's Raquel Cabero and Alaina Pauley but could not come away with a win as the Hilltoppers claimed the pro set 9-7. At No. 3 doubles, the freshman tandem of Taylor Carter (Church Hill, Tenn.) and Aya Melhem (Rockvale, Tenn.) were defeated by West Liberty's Ana Berbel and Ekaterina Pinchuk by a score of 8-4 before the Hilltoppers earned a 8-3 win at the top doubles spot with Rhiannon James and Laura Huwe beating junior Daria Tyshchenko (Kirovograd, Ukraine) and senior Bailey Christoforatos (Fredericksburg, Va.).
 
UVa-Wise won three of six singles matches but it wasn't enough as West Liberty already held a 3-0 lead. The Cavs got singles play started with two wins at the sixth position and at the No. 1 spot. Lawson made quick work of her opponent once again at No. 6 singles, downing West Liberty's Pauley 6-0, 6-1, while Tyshchenko picked up a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the Hilltoppers' James at No. 1.
 
The Hilltoppers clinched the match at 5-2 when Cabero was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Melhem at No. 2 singles. Carter then gave the Cavs their final point of the day at No. 4 singles as she defeated West Liberty's Berbel in three sets. Taylor came back from a 6-2 first-set loss to win the second set 6-3 and then the 10-point tiebreaker, 10-4. In the final match of the day, Christoforatos battled the Hilltoppers' Huwe at No. 3 singles but came up short in a third-set tiebreaker. After dropping the first set 6-1, Christoforatos earned a 6-4 second-set win before falling 10-3 in the shortened third set.
 
West Liberty headed into the 2016 fall championship season after finishing last spring ranked eighth in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Atlantic Region.
 
The Cavs are back in action tomorrow afternoon as UVa-Wise takes on nearby Emory & Henry College at 1 p.m. in Wise.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
West Liberty University 6, UVa-Wise 3
 
Singles
1. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) def. Rhiannon James (WLU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Raquel Cabero (WLU) def. Aya Melhem (WISE) 6-4, 6-2
3. Laura Huwe (WLU) def. Bailey Christoforatos (WISE) 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-3)
4. Taylor Carter (WISE) def. Ana Berbel (WLU) 2-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4)
5. Andrea Puga (WLU) def. Marti Gay (WISE) 6-0, 6-0
6. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Alaina Pauley (WLU) 6-0, 6-1
 
Doubles
1. Rhiannon James/Laura Huwe (WLU) def. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) 8-3
2. Raquel Cabero/Alaina Pauley (WLU) def. Marti Gay/Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) 9-7
3. Ana Berbel/Ekaterina Pinchuk (WLU) def. Taylor Carter/Aya Melhem (WISE) 8-4