MORGANTOWN, W.Va – Highlighted by five singles wins and three wins in doubles action, the West Virginia University women's tennis team opened play on Friday at the Cleveland State Viking Invitational in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
"Overall, we had a solid start to the fall season today," coach Miha Lisac said. "We will be looking to build on the matches today and get better throughout the weekend."
 
WVU opened the day with a singles match against Akron, where the Mountaineers won five of six matches against the Zips. At the No. 1 singles position, Christina Jordan won the first set tiebreaker but was unable to hold on as she fell to Akron's Rita Pedroso in a third set tiebreaker.
 
Freshman Anne-Sophie Courteau earned a victory in her first collegiate competition, knocking off Carli Knezevich in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 10-7, at the No. 2 position. Senior Lyn Yuen Choo would go on to best Anna Uljanov, 6-3 and 6-0, in the third singles position. At No. 4, Paula Goetz edged Madison Wolfe in two sets, 7-5 and 6-3. Sofía Duran began her sophomore campaign with a victory, defeating Luisa Echeverry, 6-2 and 6-1 at the No. 5 slot. Freshman Giovanna Caputo earned her first career victory with a 6-0, 6-3, win over Carla Flores at No. 6.
 
The Mountaineers then faced host Cleveland State in a doubles match. WVU bested the Vikings in two of the three doubles matches. In the first match, Choo and Courteau fell to Aleksandra Golawska and Isabella Spindler, 6-2. Paula Goetz and Giovanna Caputo defeated the Vikings' Gaby Schoenberg and Jana Schober, 6-3. The tandem of Yvon Martinez and Makenzie Stolar defeated Blanche Lenoan and Anastasia Perin, 6-2, in the third match.
 
WVU closed the opening day of the Viking Invitational with a doubles match against Cincinnati. Choo and Courteau dropped Emma Miceli and Anna Philp, 6-0, on court No. 2 to give the Mountaineers their lone victory over the Bearcats. On the first court, Jordan and Duran fell to Ioana Guna and Ali Miller, 6-3. UC's Ellee Bullock and Amanda Huser earned the victory over Kirsten White and Abigail Rosiello, 6-3.
 
The Viking Invitational resumes for the Mountaineers on Saturday, Oct. 7, as they take on Cleveland State in a singles match at 9:00 a.m. at the Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion. WVU then faces Cincinnati in a doubles match at 11:30 a.m., followed by another doubles match against Akron at noon.
 
A recap of the Saturday's action will be available on WVUsports.com.
 
Singles Competition:
 
West Virginia vs. Akron
Rita Pedroso (UA) def. Paula Goetz (WVU) – 6-7 (8), 6-3, 10-7
Anne-Sophie Courteau (WVU) def. Carli Knezevich (UA) – 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
Lyn Yuen Choo (WVU) def. Anna Uljanov (UA) – 6-3, 6-0
Paula Goetz (WVU) def. Madison Wolfe (UA) – 7-5, 6-3
Sofía Duran (WVU) def. Luisa Echeverry (UA) – 6-2, 6-1
Giovanna Caputo (WVU) def. Carla Flores (UA) – 6-0, 6-3
 
Doubles Competition:
 
West Virginia vs. Cleveland State
Golawska/Spindler (CSU) def. Choo/Courteau (WVU) – 6-2
Goetz/Caputo (WVU) def. Schoenberg/Schober (CSU) – 6-3
Martinez/Stolar (WVU) def. Lenoan/Perin (CSU) – 6-2
 
West Virginia vs. Cincinnati
Guna/Miller (UC) def. Jordan/Duran (WVU) – 6-3
Choo/Courteau (WVU) def. Miceli/Philp (UC) – 6-1
Bullock/Huser (UC) def. White/Rosiello (WVU) – 6-4
 
Keep up with West Virginia women's tennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by following @WVUtennis.