West Virginia’s first winning season in the Big 12 era has come to a close after a round one tournament loss to Baylor.
Led by 11-year WVU coach Miha Lisac, the Mountaineers finished with a 14-12 team record, their best since 2010’s 17-7 season. In the process, WVU won three conference matches, more than it has total since 2014. It also was ranked in the ITA’s top 75 several times throughout the year.
On Wednesday, though, that all came to an end thanks to the stacked Big 12. The conference accounts for 10 top 75 programs. WVU, which ranks 11th in the conference, got the fifth highest-ranked and sixth-seeded Baylor Bears.
Baylor, which ranks No. 36 in the nation, took care of West Virginia with ease in their first meeting on March 3, cutting the match early with a 4-0 Bears win. As such, the short-staffed Mountaineers had a hill to climb in round one, but, to start to day, they climbed it.
WVU grabbed the doubles point early after a 6-4 court one win from senior Momoko Nagato and junior Michaela Kucharova and 6-3 court three win from graduate student Love-Star Alexis and junior Tatiana Lipatova. This was the first appearance of the court three pair, while Kucharova and Nagato are an experienced team with a final record of 12-8-5.
Graduate student Ting-Pei Chang and sophomore Maja Dodik played on doubles court two, falling 6-2. The pair was 0-3-1 on the year. Dodik, who has played in all but one doubles round this season, typically teams with freshman Maya Bordereau on court two, but the freshman phenom was absent for the Big 12 Championship match.
Also absent this weekend was junior Camilla Bossi. WVU’s professional-playing ace played just seven matches this season, including three of the last four in the regular season. Despite her recent appearances, though, Bossi did not play in Stillwater this week.
With Bossi’s absence, Love-Star Alexis resumed her position on court one to start the singles round. Momoko Nagato took court two, a spot filled by a variety of players this season but most often was reserved for Bordereau.
Against No. 117 singles player Miska Kadleckova, Alexis was the first to fall in singles, dropping 6-2, 6-0. Kadleckova defeated Alexis 6-0, 6-0 in March. The two-set loss unfortunately set a trend for WVU, causing no match to go to three sets.
Kucharova, who played on court three for the first time this season, fell 6-2, 6-3. Dodik played her most familiar position on court four but lost 6-4, 6-3, and Ting-Pei Chang, who played down at court six, fell 6-3, 6-3.
West Virginia delayed Baylor’s fourth point with a court five win from Tatiana Lipatova. Lipatova fluctuated in and out of the singles lineup this season but performed well as a fifth or sixth seed. The junior won 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday to secure a season record of 11-3-3.
Dodik’s loss secured the victory for Baylor. Nagato’s match, where she trailed 7-6 (4), 5-0, was cut short. With the win, Baylor will play again Thursday against No. 18 Oklahoma, and West Virginia will head back to Morgantown.
WVU Tennis will return this fall for its tournament season. The team’s roster and plans are yet to be announced, but with recent success, an upward trajectory is expected for the Mountaineers.
Doubles Results
- Michaela Kucharova/Momoko Nagato (WVU) def. Miska Kadleckova/Danielle Tuhten (BU), 6-4
- Liubov Kostenko/Zuzanna Kubacha (BU) def. Ting-Pei Chang/Maja Dodik (WVU), 6-2
- Love-Star Alexis/Tatiana Lipatova (WVU) def. Isabella Harvison/Brooke Thompson (BU), 6-3
Singles Results
- No. 117 Miska Kadleckova (BU) def. Love-Star Alexis (WVU), 6-2, 6-0
- Isabella Harvison (BU) vs. Momoko Nagato (WVU), 7-6 (4), 5-0 (unfinished)
- Liubov Kostenko (BU) def. Michaela Kucharova (WVU), 6-2, 6-3
- Zuzanna Kubacha (BU) def. Maja Dodik (WVU), 6-4, 6-3
- Tatiana Lipatova (WVU) def. Zuzanna Frankowska (BU), 6-1, 6-4
- Danielle Tuhten def. Ting-Pei Chang (WVU), 6-3, 6-3
Photo from WVU Women’s Tennis
