WVU’s women’s tennis team gained valuable winning experience over the weekend as they hosted five other schools in the Martha Thorn Invitational.
The Mountaineers, represented by graduate students Love-Star Alexis and Ting-Pei Chang, junior Michaela Kucharova, and sophomore Maja Dodik, won all but one singles match throughout the three-day tournament. The tournament featured players from Penn State, Louisville, Maryland, Duquesne, and James Madison, as well.
Love-Star Alexis, who has struggled somewhat in the fall season after transferring from Middle Tennessee State, won all four of her matches and lost just one set in the tournament. Ting-Pei Chang played just one singles match in the weekend, defeating James Madison’s Reka Matko 7-6 (3), 3-1.
Kucharova won three matches in singles but lost the first set to Penn State freshman Katerina Dimitrova, who retired due to injury in the second set. Maja Dodik won two matches and had the team’s only singles loss in the weekend to Louisville’s Germany Davis. The freshman was the No. 1 recruit in the state of Georgia last season.
West Virginia also won half of their four doubles matches at Martha Thorn. Dodik and Chang fell 6-2 on the first day to Louisville’s Gretkowski and Peresypkina while Maryland’s Platenikova and Challa defeated Alexis and Kucharova 6-1. Maja Dodik and Michaela Kucharova triumphed in both of their doubles matches on Saturday, winning 6-0 and 6-4.
West Virginia will play next at the ITA Atlantic Regional from October 19th to the 23rd. Day by day results for the Mountaineers from the Martha Thorn Invitational are as follows.
Singles Results:
Day 1 (Friday, Oct. 6)
- Maja Dodik (WVU) def. Cate Broerman (JMU), 2-6, 6-3, 10-8
- Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Daria Munteanu (JMU), 6-4, 7-6 (4)
- Love-Star Alexis (WVU) def. Jordina Cegarra (Penn State), 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
- Ting-Pei Chang (WVU) def. Reka Matko (JMU), 7-6 (3), 3-1
Day 2 (Saturday, Oct. 7)
- Germany Davis (UofL) def. Maja Dodik (WVU), 6-2, 6-4
- Love-Star Alexis (WVU) def. Elena Noguero (UofL), 6-3, 6-4
- Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Katerina Dimitrova (Penn State), 6-7 (1), 2-1
- Love-Star Alexis (WVU) def. Danielle Alamo (Penn State), 6-3, 6-3
Day 3 (Sunday, Oct. 8)
- Maja Dodik (WVU) def. Daniela Latoni (Duquesne), 6-2, 6-3
- Love-Star Alexis (WVU) def. Jasa Roka (Duquesne), 6-4, 7-5
- Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Ellen Shanahan (Duquesne), 6-2, 6-2
Doubles Results:
Day 1 (Friday, Oct. 6)
- Allie Gretkowski/Lika Peresypkina (UofL) def. Maja Dodik/Ting-Pei Chang (WVU), 6-2
- Ela Platenikova/Diya Challa (Maryland) def. Love-Star Alexis/Michaela Kucharova (WVU), 6-1
Day 2 (Saturday, Oct. 7)
- Maja Dodik/Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Reka Matko/Hayley Glen (JMU), 6-0
- Maja Dodik/Michaela Kucharova (WVU) def. Aida Eissa/Francesca Feodorov (Maryland), 6-4
