West Virginia Defeats Houston for First Conference Win

Friday, March 28

Houston, Texas

7 p.m.

West Virginia University

Houston

Michaela Kucharova vs. Utah (March 20, 2025)

March 28, 2025 10:59 PM | Tennis

Box Score

By: Charles Montgomery

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's tennis team defeated Houston, 4-3, for its first Big 12 Conference win of the season in Houston, Texas, on Friday night.

Due to time constraints, the match began with singles. Houston got on the board first with a strong performance in the No. 4 seed match as West Virginia's redshirt junior Maja Dodik lost, 6-3, 6-1.

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West Virginia (7-13, 1-8 Big 12) fell behind, 2-0, after senior Mille Haagensen lost in the No. 1 spot, 6-2, 6-4.

However, the Mountaineers quickly rebounded, winning back-to-back matches to tie the match. Graduate student Julie Bousseau won 7-6 (4), 6-4, and senior Michaela Kucharova battled to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Houston retook the lead when Sophie Schouten defeated West Virginia's freshman Lyla Byers, 6-2, 6-2.

Freshman Laura Villanueva Morillo kept the match alive as she rolled past Gabriela Cortes in the No. 6 seed match, 6-0, 6-2.

The tightly contested match rolled into doubles play with Houston winning the No. 3 seed match, 6-2. West Virginia fought back as the pairing of Haagensen and Bousseau won, 6-3.

The doubles team comprised of Kucharova and Villanueva Morillo clinched the match for WVU with a 6-4 win.

Doubles Results

Mille Haagensen/Julie Bousseau (WVU) def. Sophia Schouten/Gabriela Cortes (UH), 6-3
Michaela Kucharova/Laura Villanueva Morillo (WVU) def. Santa Strombacha/Iva Sepa (UH), 6-4
Valeriia Krokhotina/Heta Nuutinen (UH) def. Lyla Byers/Maja Dodik (WVU), 6-2

Singles Results

Santa Strombacha (UH) def. Mille Haagensen (WVU), 6-2, 6-4
Julie Bousseau (WVU) def. Iva Sepa (UH), 7-6 (4), 6-4
Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Heta Nuutinen (UH), 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
Valeriia Krokhotina (UH) def. Maja Dodik (WVU), 6-3, 6-1
Sophia Schouten (UH) def. Lyla Byers (WVU), 6-2, 6-2
Laura Villanueva Morillo (WVU) def. Gabriela Cortes, 6-0, 6-2

West Virginia faces No. 19 UCF in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday at noon ET.

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