MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 15 seed West Virginia University women's tennis team lost to the No. 10 seed Kansas State Wildcats, 4-2, in the first round of the Big 12 Tennis Championships on Wednesday at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.
 
West Virginia (8-17, 2-11 Big 12) nearly pulled off an impressive upset, but a late rally by the Wildcats proved to be the difference maker.
 
Kansas State earned the doubles point after it won two of three doubles matches. WVU quickly bounced back in singles play, winning back-to-back matches to take the lead.
 
Senior Tatiana Lipatova defeated Kansas State's Sana Garakani, 6-1, 6-1, and senior Michaela Kucharova won, 6-0, 6-2.
 
Graduate student Julie Bousseau lost in the No. 1 seed match, 6-2, 6-4, as KSU tied the match at two. A dominant win by freshman Laura Villaneuva Morillo put the Mountaineers in front with two matches remaining.
 
The Wildcats earned their second singles victory in the No. 5 seed match to tie the match.
 
In the final match of the night, senior Mille Haagensen lost the first set, 6-2, but rallied from 5-4 down in the second set to win, 7-5. In the final set, Haagensen lost, 6-1, as Kansas State clinched the match.
 
Doubles Results

• Maralgoo Chomsomjav/Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Julie Bousseau/Mille Haagensen (WVU), 6-2
• Michaela Kucharova/Laura Villanueva Morillo (WVU) def. Sana Garakani/Maria Santos (KSU), 6-2
• Veronika Kulhava/Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Tatiana Lipatova/Lyla Byers (WVU), 6-3

Singles Results

• Maralgoo Chomsomjav (KSU) def. Julie Bousseau (WVU), 6-2, 6-4
• Charlotte Keitel (KSU) def. Mille Haagensen (WVU), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
• Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Maria Santos (KSU), 6-0, 6-2
• Veronika Kulhava (KSU) def. Lyla Byers (WVU), 6-0, 6-4
• Laura Villanueva Morillo (WVU) def. Tereza Polakova (KSU), 6-0, 6-3
• Tatiana Lipatova (WVU) def. Sana Garakani (KSU), 6-1, 6-1

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