The Mountain East Conference Champion Women’s Tennis team topped Davis and Elkins, the Greater Midwest Athletic Conference champions, with ease Saturday, 9-0.
Kierstin Hensley and Nina Dillwald picked up a 8-6 win at #1 doubles over the Davis and Elkins duo of Laura Fermosel and Elise Simon. The Yellow Jacket pair of Laura Isbey and Hanna Kontsavaya powered past the Senator pair of Esther Bolmenas and Kelsie Roby 8-1 at #2 doubles. Nika Tadic and Grazielle Pretterotto finished off the doubles sweep with an 8-4 win over Amanda Fewster and Karin Rosario 8-4.
Two-time MEC Player of the Year Laura Isbey topped Fermosel 6-2, 6-3 at #1 singles. Kierstin Hensley topped Simon 6-1,6-1 at #2 singles. #3 singles player Nina Dillwald eased past Laura Vargas 6-2, 6-1. Hanna Kontsavaya won a close first set 7-5 over Bolmenas, and won her second set with ease 6-0 at #4 singles. Kayla McKnight outlasted Roby 6-4, 6-1 at #5 singles. Sydney Miller topped Rosario 6-0, 6-0.
Head Coach John Simms was happy with the result. “They played well for an early season match. The Senators have won their conference the last couple of years and are always tough,” he said.
The Men’s match did not wrap up until 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The Yellow Jackets lost 8-1.
Caleb Starkey and Noah Fulks would drop a close match at #1 doubles to the Davis and Elkins duo of Matthew Mulyadi and Alejandro Mesegeur. Dylan Jayasuriya and Jake Stanley would lose a heartbreaker at #2 doubles 9-8(7-3) to Tristram Spitsnaugle and Jacob Bowman.
Ethan Cross and Zach Fraley would put the Yellow Jackets on the board with an 8-6 win at #3 doubles over the Senator pair of Cody Turner and Mason Schoonover.
Caleb Starkey fell to Mulyadi 6-1,6-0 at #1 singles. Noah Fulks lost to Meseguer 6-1, 6-1 at #2 singles. Ethan Cross was downed by Spitsnaugle 6-1, 6-2 at #3 singles. Dylan Jayasuryia fell to Schoonover 6-3,6-0 at #4 singles.
Jake Stanley in his first college singles match fell to Bowman in three close sets, 3-6, 6-4, 9-11 at #5 singles. Baylee Vankirk would close the day’s matches out by falling to Turner 4-6, 6-4, 10-12 at #6 singles.
“The men’s match was much closer than the final score shows,” said Simms, “It really could have went either way.”
The Women’s team had a quick turnaround, traveling to Ashland, Kentucky Sunday to face the Bellarmine Knights at the Ashland Tennis Center, losing 6-3.
Kierstin Hensley and Nina Dillwald fell in a heartbreaker 9-8 (7-5) to the Bellarmine duo of Maggie Walroth and Ashley Jonathan at #1 doubles. Laura Isbey and Hanna Kontsavaya fell 8-5 at #2 doubles to Jennifer Skonieczny and Ava Ratcliff. Kayla McKnight and Sydney Miller lost 8-1 at #3 doubles to Marin Cotter and Bess Fley.
Laura Isbey would avenge a 6-0, 7-5 defeat at the hands of Walroth last year by winning 6-2, 6-3 at #1 singles. Kierstin Hensley eased past Skonieczny 6-0, 6-1. Dillwald toppled Jonathan in a marathon match 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) at #3 singles. Hanna Kontsavaya fell 6-2, 7-5 to Marissa Kovach at #4 singles.
Kayla McKnight lost to Ratcliff 6-1, 7-5 at # 5 singles, and Nika Tadic lost to cotter 6-1, 6-2 at #6 singles.
“Bellarmine is a very strong team throughout their lineup” Isbey said. “Our team managed to pull through with some very hard fought wins.”
The Men’s and Women’s Tennis will be in action on Sunday, when they host Salem International.
