Women's Tennis | 10/21/2017 7:20:00 PM
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women battled Charleston to the wire Saturday only to come out on the short end of a 5-1 tally in the semifinals of the Mountain East Conference championship tournament at the Brian David Fox Tennis Center on the campus of Marshall University.
Coach
Heather Gallagher's No. 3-seeded Hilltoppers got a big win at No. 3 doubles from the pairing of
Ana Berbel and Kate Pinchuk but the No. 2-seeded Golden Eagles gained the upper hand with a pair of hotly-contested victories at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles to take a 2-1 lead into singles play.
Charleston closed out the Black and Gold with three straight-set wins in singles, getting a 6-3 6-2 decision from Kristine Gegeshidze at No. 2 singles along with a 6-3 6-4 win from Elise Edwards at No. 3 singles and a 7-6-6-2 nod from Silvana Slusarciuc at No. 4 singles.
The Golden Eagles will meet defending champion and No. 1 seed West Virginia State in Sunday's championship match with the winner earning the MEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional in the spring. State held off West Virginia Wesleyan, 5-4, in Saturday's other semifinal.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
MEC Tournament
(at Huntington, W.Va.)
Semifinal
Charleston 5, West Liberty 1
Doubles
#1 Katie Swann/Kristine Gegeshidze (UC) d.
Maurine Oudart/
Thais Mendez (WLU), 8-4
#2 Elise Edwards/Silvana Slusarciuc (UC) d.
Laura Huwe/
Alaina Pauley (WLU), 8-5
#3
Ana Berbel/Kate Pinchuk (WLU) d. Uttenhove/Dillon (UC), 8-5
Singles
#2 Kristine Gegeshidze (UC) d.
Laura Huwe (WLU), 6-3, 6-2
#3 Elise Edwards (UC) d.
Thais Mendez (WLU), 6-3, 6-4
#4 Silvana Slusarciuc (UC) d.
Ana Berbel (WLU), 7-6, 6-2
