Morgantown, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women’s tennis team overcame a slow start to tie the match at 2-2, but ultimately fell to Maryland 4-2, at the Ridgeview Racquet Club in Morgantown on Sunday.
“Overall, I thought it was a good battle for both teams,” fourth-year coach Miha Lisac said. “Every single one of the matches were neck-and-neck. It’s one of those things, the battles just go one way or another.”
Maryland started the match by picking up the doubles point. UM’s Arnelle Sullivan and Katsiaryna Yemelyanenka defeated juniors Habiba Shaker and Lyn Yuen Choo at the second doubles position, 6-3. The Mountaineers were able to win the second doubles match, 6-3, as the tandem of senior Kaja Mrgole and freshman Christina Jordan bested Ekaterina Tour and Caroline Williams at court No.1. With doubles play knotted at one win apiece, Maryland’s Alexandra Stanova and Cassandre Thebault defeated sophomore Paula Goetz and junior Yvon Martinez, 7-5, to earn the doubles point for the Terrapins.
Maryland’s Thebault won the first singles match of the day as she defeated Jordan at the No. 4 position to extend the Terrapins’ lead to 2-0. Shaker was then able to win a close battle in a second set tiebreaker over Stanova at No. 1 to cut Maryland’s lead to 2-1.
Mrgole overcame a first set defeat to win the match over Arnelle Sullivan, 2-6, 6-3 and 6-1, on court two to even the team score at two wins apiece.
However, the Mountaineers were unable to win another match in singles play as Martinez fell to Williams, 7-6 (8) and 6-1 at No. 6 after losing a first-set tiebreaker. Maryland’s Yemelyanenka secured the Terrapin victory when she bested Choo 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5. Goetz and Tour were in their third set but did not finish due to clinch rules.
Up next, WVU will travel to Richmond, Virginia, to take on the defending Atlantic 10 Champions, VCU on Friday, Feb. 3. The Mountaineers will then continue their tour through Virginia on Feb. 4, when they take on William & Mary in Williamsburg.
Singles Competition:
No. 1: Habiba Shaker (WVU) def. def. Alexandra Stanova (UM) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
No. 2: Kaja Mrgole (WVU) def. Arnelle Sullivan (UM) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
No. 3: Paula Goetz (WVU) vs. Ekaterina Tour (UM) 6-4, 2-6, unfinished
No. 4: Cassandre Thebault (UM) def. Christina Jordan (WVU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5: Katsiaryna Yemelyanenka (UM) def. Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 6: Caroline Williams (UM) def. Yvon Martinez (WVU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
Doubles competition:
No. 1: Kaja Mrgole / Christina Jordan (WVU) def. Ekaterina Tour/ Caroline Williams (UM) – 6-3
No. 2: Arnelle Sullivan/ Katsiaryna Yemelyanenka (UM) def. Habiba Shaker/ Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU) –6-3
No. 3: Alexandra Stanova/ Cassandre Thebault (UM) def. Paula Goetz/ Yvon Martinez (WVU) - 6-2
Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3); Singles (4, 1, 2, 6, 5)
