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West Virginia notches close win over Youngstown State

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia tennis team (2-0, 0-0 Big 12) notched its second win of the season on Wednesday, March 3, afternoon, as the Mountaineers defeated Youngstown State, 4-3, at the YSU Indoor Tennis Center in Youngstown, Ohio.

“We found a way to get the team W today and turn some of the matches around,” WVU coach Miha Lisac said. “We had some good battles on different courts. I am glad that we can have this opportunity to learn from before we hit conference matches next weekend.”

In doubles play, Youngstown State took an early advantage in the No. 2 match, as seniors Hunter Bleser and Anne-Sophie Courteau fell to Jessica Stanmore and Claudia Barboza, 6-3. The No. 1 and No. 3 slots provided the answer for WVU, as both Mountaineer pairs secured victories to claim the doubles team point and take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Junior Anastasiia Bovolskaia and freshman Nadya Maslova defeated Cecilia Rosas and Elvira Esteo, 6-4, from the No. 1 slot, while freshmen Amber Fuller and Momoko Nagato secure a close, 7-5 win against Eliska Masarikova and Lucia Zagar from the No. 3 position.

In singles play, Fuller was the first Mountaineer to finish, after she secured a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Barboza to extend WVU’s advantage. Nagato came up with another win for West Virginia soon after by defeating Zagar in straight sets to put the Mountaineers up, 3-0, in the match.

Needing a response to WVU’s four consecutive match wins, Youngstown State responded by claiming the No. 4 and 5 singles matches to narrow the score to 3-2.

Bleser suffered a two-set loss to Masarikova, 6-2, 6-3, in the No. 4 position, while Courteau fell in the No. 5 match to Stanmore, 6-3, 6-3.

In the No. 3 slot, Maslova helped the Mountaineers clinch the match by defeating Esteo, 6-4, 6-2, to claim WVU’s fourth team point. The final singles match from the No. 1 position was played out.

After falling in the first set, 6-3, Bovolskaia battled to claim the second frame, 7-5, from Rosas to force a 10-point, third-set tiebreaker. The two traded volleys, but ultimately, Rosas came away with the win after defeating Bovolskaia, 10-7, in the final frame.

Next up, West Virginia returns to Morgantown on Friday, March 5, as the Mountaineers get set to welcome VCU. First serve against the Rams is scheduled for 10 a.m., from the Summit Tennis Academy in Morgantown.