MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. – The UVa-Wise women's tennis team began the 2016 fall season Wednesday evening with a resounding 8-1 road victory over Milligan College. The Cavaliers (1-0) swept all three doubles matches and did not let up in singles play to get the win against the host Buffaloes (0-1).
 
An 8-0 No. 3 doubles win by the freshman tandem of Taylor Carter (Church Hill, Tenn.) and Aya Melhem (Rockvale, Tenn.) over the Buffs' Rebecca Guthrie and Rachel Blakenship got the evening started. After trailing 4-1 at No. 2 doubles, junior Marti Gay (Denton, Texas) and sophomore Mackenzie Lawson (Wise, Va.) came back to defeat Milligan's Minda Martin and Brenna Ketron, 9-7. The No. 1 doubles duo of junior Daria Tyshchenko (Kirovograd, Ukraine) and senior Bailey Christoforatos (Fredericksburg, Va.) continued the comeback trend when they recovered from a 5-1 deficit to claim seven straight games, picking up an 8-5 win against the Buffs' Lexie Hill and Abigail Allen.
 
In singles play, Lawson made quick work of her opponent at the sixth spot, winning 6-0, 6-0 against Milligan's Guthrie. Gay did not give up many games at the No. 5 singles spot as she earned a 6-0, 6-2 win over Kaylee Beaudoin of Milligan. At the top singles spot, Tyshchenko picked up a 6-3, 6-0 victory against the Buffs' Allen, while Carter claimed her first collegiate singles win with a 6-2, 6-1 rout of Milligan's Ketron at No. 4 singles. Also making her collegiate singles debut, Melhem earned the Cavs' eighth and final point at the second singles position when she defeated Hill of Milligan, 6-4, 6-1.
 
The match was the Cavs' first win over the Buffs in nearly a decade as UVa-Wise last defeated Milligan in 2007.
 
The Cavs will now turn to their home and Mountain East Conference opener Saturday versus West Liberty University, match time is scheduled for 11 a.m. from the Jim and Betty Humphries Tennis Complex. UVa-Wise will also host Emory & Henry College Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Visit uvawisecavs.com for all Cavalier women's tennis news, statistics, complete schedule and more.
 
Full Match Results
UVa-Wise 8, Milligan College 1
 
Singles
1. Daria Tyshchenko (WISE) def. Abigail Allen (MC) 6-3, 6-0
2. Aya Melhem (WISE) def. Lexie Hill (MC) 6-4, 6-1
3. Minda Martin (MC) def. B. Christoforatos (WISE) 6-4, 6-2
4. Taylor Carter (WISE) def. Brenna Ketron (MC) 6-2, 6-1
5. Marti Gay (WISE) def. Kaylee Beaudoin (MC) 6-0, 6-2
6. Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Rebecca Guthrie (MC) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles
1. Daria Tyshchenko/B. Christoforatos (WISE) def. Lexie Hill/Abigail Allen (MC) 8-5
2. Marti Gay/Mackenzie Lawson (WISE) def. Minda Martin/Brenna Ketron (MC) 9-7
3. Taylor Carter/Aya Melhem (WISE) def. Rebecca Guthrie/Rachel Blakenship (MC) 8-0