BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Women's Tennis opened the 2025 season with a 6-1 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Thursday at the Warren County Tennis Facility at Michael O. Buchanon Park.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Singles (Order of finish: 6, 2, 5, 1, 4, 3)
- 1. Rachel Hermanova (WKU) def. Masha Fedenko (EKU) 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
- 2. Sofia Blanco (WKU) def. Sasha Parkhomenko (EKU) 6-4, 6-3
- 3. Marilou Cote (EKU) def. Mia Miranda (WKU) 5-7, 6-3, 10-5
- 4. Sunskrithi Damera (WKU) def. Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) 6-3, 6-2
- 5. Mariana Zegada (WKU) def. Zhansaya Bakytzhan (EKU) 6-3, 6-4
- 6. Emily Schut (WKU) def. Anastas Cherniakova (EKU) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles (Order of finish: 1, 2)
- 1. Sofia Blanco/Rachel Hermanova (WKU) def. Masha Fedenko/Anastas Cherniakova (EKU) 6-2
- 2. Mia Miranda/Emily Schut (WKU) def. Marilou Cote/Zhansaya Bakytzhan (EKU) 6-2
- 3. Carolina Chiatti/Mariana Zegada (WKU) vs. Sasha Parkhomenko/Izem Elif Olcer (EKU) 4-3, unfinished
NOTABLES
- With Thursday's result, the Lady Toppers start the season with a win for the third time in the last four seasons.
- WKU improves to 8-11 all-time against EKU, with wins in four of the last five meetings. WKU is now 2-2 against the Colonels in Bowling Green.
- The Lady Toppers improve to 1-0 at home this season. WKU claimed 11 wins at home last season, which was second-most in program history.
- With her win at the No. 1 singles position, Rachel Hermanova extends her WKU record for career singles wins to 50.
- With her win at the No. 2 singles position, Sofia Blanco improves to 41-14 in her career in singles play. She is three singles wins from being tied for second all-time in program history.
- Blanco is now 39-24 in doubles play in her career with her win Thursday. The 39 doubles wins are second-most all-time in program history.
- With her result at the No. 6 singles position, Emily Schut picked up her first win as a member of the WKU Women's Tennis program.
- Schut and Mia Miranda earned their first doubles wins as Lady Toppers with the result at the No. 2 position against EKU.
- Head Coach Greg Davis is now 323-182 all-time as a college head coach, which includes 64 wins with the Lady Toppers. He entered the season ranking 29th in total wins and 36th in winning percentage among active Division I women's tennis head coaches with at least five years as a Division I head coach.
QUOTABLES
- "Being able to keep our intensity level up the whole time in doubles and singles was the key. We didn't have a drop off the whole day, which was big. EKU is an extremely good team and has pretty much everybody back from last year. If you would have told me before the match we would go through them 6-1, I'd say, 'Man, we played well.' For the first match of the season, I thought we played well." – WKU Women's Tennis Head Coach Greg Davis.
- "I think we are all pretty happy to start the season – our last season (for the seniors) – on the right foot. The biggest key, I would say, was to just do what we've been practicing and trying to be aggressive." – WKU Women's Tennis senior Mariana Zegada, on starting the season with a win over EKU.
- "Just come in and be aggressive. We fought for every ball and we supported each other. I think that was the key for us to win this match." – WKU Women's Tennis senior Sofia Blanco, on starting the season with a win over EKU.
NEXT UP
- The Lady Toppers are scheduled to play their first road match of the season on Sunday, Jan. 19, at Vanderbilt. The match is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. CT.
For all the latest on WKU Women's Tennis, follow @WKUTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
