WVU Secures 20 at Thunder in the Mountains

Friday, September 23

Charleston, W.Va.

All Day

West Virginia University

Thunder in the Mountains

Photo by: Chloe Paugh

September 25, 2022 05:54 PM | Tennis

By: Reghan Bailey

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University tennis team concluded action at Thunder in the Mountains on Sunday afternoon, in Charleston, West Virginia.

"It was a good weekend of competition," WVU coach Miha Lisac said. "We competed well during the weekend as a team, and we saw strides with individual players in how they compete under pressure. It was a good weekend for us overall."

This marked the third time WVU co-hosted the tournament, alongside Marshall, since 2019. The two programs welcomed Cincinnati and VCU to the West Virginia state capital, from Sept. 23-25.

The Mountaineers finished the weekend with 20 wins, tallying 13 singles wins and seven doubles victories. West Virginia had two pairs go undefeated this weekend, including duo junior Momoko Nagato and sophomore Michaela Kucharova and the tandem of senior Ting-Pei Chang and sophomore Tatiana Lipatova.

During singles play, WVU saw three Mountaineers go undefeated, including Chang, Nagato, senior Pei-ju Hsieh.

Doubles Results vs Marshall (Day 1 – Fri., Sept. 23)
·      Momoko Nagato/Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Cassie McLay/Elizabeth Pendergast (CIN), 6-2
·      Ting-Pei Chang/Kendall Kovick (WVU) def. Kelli Niehaus/Maria Santilli (CIN), 7-5
·      Pei-ju Hsieh/Tatiana Lipatova (WVU) def. Katie Ferguson/Natasha Opaciuch (CIN), 6-3

Doubles Results vs VCU (Day 1 – Fri., Sept. 23)
·      Nagato/Kucharova (WVU) def. Anastasia Smirnova/Gabriela Davidescu (VCU), 6-4
·      Chang/Kovick (WVU) def. Victoria Smirnova/Emma Valletta (VCU), 6-3
·      Yelizaveta Karlova/Victoria Matasova (VCU) def. Hsieh/Lipatova (WVU), 7-6(2)

Single Results vs Marshall (Day 1 – Fri., Sept. 23)
·      Emma Vanderheyden (MU) def. Michaela Kucharova (WVU), 1-6, 6-4, 10-8
·      Johanna Strom (MU) def. Kendall Kovick (WVU), 4-6, 6-4, 10-2
·      Tatiana Lipatova (WVU) def. Aisling McGrane (MU), 6-3, 2-6, 10-8
·      Ting-Pei Chang (WVU) def. Rieke Gillar (MU), 6-0, 6-2
·      Momoko Nagato (WVU) def. Andjela Lopicic (MU), 6-4, 6-3
·      Pei-ju Hsieh (WVU) def. Gabrielle Clairotte (MU), 6-4, 6-2
·      Catherine Wassick (WVU) def. Kylie Fisher (MU), 6-4, 6-1

Doubles Results vs Marshall (Day 2 – Sat., Sept. 24)
·      Nagato/Kucharova (WVU) def. Vanderheyden/McGrane (MU), 7-6(6)
·      Chang/Kovick (WVU) def. Strom/Lopicic (MU), 6-1
·      Gillar/Hurrion (MU) def. Hsieh/Lipatova (WVU), 6-4

Singles Results vs Cincinnati (Day 2 – Sat., Sept. 24)
·      Pendergast (CIN) def. Kucharova (WVU), 6-3, 3-6, 10-5
·      Kovick (WVU) def. Santilli (CIN), 6-4, 6-4
·      McLay (CIN) def. Lipatova (WVU), 7-5, 7-6
·      Chang (WVU) def. Niehaus (CIN), 6-4, 6-3
·      Nagato (WVU) def. Ferguson (CIN), 6-2, 6-2
·      Hsieh (WVU) def. Opaciuch (CIN), 2-6, 6-3, 10-4
·      Bruno (CIN) def. Wassick (WVU), 6-0, 6-1

Singles Results vs VCU (Day 3 – Sun., Sept. 25)
·      V. Smirnova (VCU) def. Kucharova (WVU), 6-3, 6-0
·      A. Smirnova (VCU) def. Kovick (WVU), 2-6, 6-1, 10-4
·      Lipatova (WVU) def. Karlova (VCU), 0-6, 7-6(4), 10-6
·      Chang (WVU) def. Matasova (VCU), 7-6(4), 2-6, 10-6
·      Nagato (WVU) def. Davidescu (VCU), 6-3, 6-3
·      Hsieh (WVU) def. Valletta (VCU), 4-6, 7-5, 10-8
·      Draskovick (VCU) def. Wassick (WVU), 6-0, 6-1

The Mountaineers return home to host their annual Martha Thorn Invitational, from Oct. 7-9. WVU is set to welcome Duquesne, James Madison, Louisville and Penn State to Morgantown for the three day invite.

Keep up with West Virginia women's tennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by following @WVUtennis.