Women's Tennis | 4/28/2018 4:58:00 PM

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The No. 6-seeded West Liberty University women's tennis team saw another strong season come to an end here Saturday with a 5-0 loss to No. 3 seed Mercyhurst (Pa.) in an NCAA Division II Atlantic Region II Tournament semifinal.
    Coach Heather Gallagher's Hilltoppers (12-8) found themselves in an early hole after the Lakers (23-2) swept the three doubles matches. Mercyhurst then closed out the win with victories at No. 1 and No. 6 singles. Play was halted in the other singles matches after the Pennsylvania squad had clinched.
    The Lakers advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. Atlantic Region II Tournament championship match against host and No. 2 seed West Virginia State. The Yellow Jackets breezed to a 5-0 win against No. 7 seed Shaw (N.C.) in Saturday's first semifinal.
    Making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last eight seasons, West Liberty got a gutty performance from its No. 1 doubles tandem of Thais Mendez and Laura Huwe. The Hilltopper duo battled the Lakers' top doubles team of Saioa Gomez de Segura and Adina Spahalic to the wire before coming out on the short end of an 8-6 count.
    Mercyhurst swept the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches at love before de Segura rolled to a straight-set win at No. 1 singles and Athina Tsagkaraki did the same at No. 6 singles to end the match. With the wins, the Laker duo improved to a combined 41-0 in singles play this year.
  Saioa Gomez de Segura/Adina Spahalic (MU) d. Thais Mendez/Laura Huwe, 8-6
Adrianna Jeffress/Kayla Frost (MU) d. Ana Berbel/Alaina Pauley, 8-0
Ivona Plecevic/Athina Tsagkaraki (MU) d. Kate Pinchuk/Makayla Schaefer, 8-0 Saioa Gomez de Segura (MU) d. Thais Mendez, 6-0 6-2
Athina Tsagkaraki (MU) d. Lisa Nachtwey, 6-1 6-1