MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia tennis team fell to Iowa State, 5-2, on Sunday, as the Mountaineers opened Big 12 play at the Summit Tennis Academy.
“I think certain things were definitely positive today,” WVU coach Miha Lisac said. “I think we came out as a team and competed well. I thought every player that came out today came out to battle, and they competed well. It was definitely something that we’re looking to continue moving forward into the upcoming Big 12 matches.”
In doubles play, Iowa State jumped out to an early advantage, after winning the No. 1 match, 6-2. Junior Giovanna Caputo and sophomore Nicole Roc helped the Mountaineers even the doubles round by taking the No. 3 match, 6-3, but it wouldn’t be enough, as WVU surrendered the doubles team point after falling in the No. 2 match, 2-6.
Facing a 1-0 deficit, the Mountaineers opened singles play with a loss in the No. 1 slot, as sophomore Anastasiia Bovolskaia fell to Thasaporn Naklo in two sets. West Virginia rebounded to cut into ISU’s advantage in the No. 4 match, where freshman Kat Lyman secured the victory over Tine-Pei Chang, 6-3, 6-3.
The Mountaineers dropped the No. 2 match in straight sets. After falling in the first set, junior Anne-Sophie Courteau battled to tie the second frame at 5-5, but ISU’s Maty Cancini claimed the match after winning the set, 7-5.
In the No. 3 slot, Caputo won the first set against Christin Hsieh, 6-4, but stumbled in the second set by the same score. In the third-set tiebreaker, Hsieh decided the match, winning 6-2. With the win, Iowa State claimed its fourth team point to clinch the match. The final two singles matches were played out.
Roc suffered the loss in the No. 5 slot, falling in straight sets to Chie Kezuka, 3-6, 1-6. West Virginia ended the match with a win in the No. 6 slot, as senior Sofia Duran defeated Margarita Timakova in two sets, 7-5, 6-2.
