INSTITUTE, W.Va. - Charleston squared off with the Yellow Jackets this evening on the campus of West Virginia State University in a battle between two powerful MEC women's tennis squads only to suffer a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to the hosts.

The Yellow Jackets jumped ahead of UC after doubles by a score of 2-1.  The tandem of Marieve Edwards and Jackie Bakos won convincingly at the #2 doubles position, 8-2, while Toni Katipa and Kelsey Hensley worked their way back into their match twice to force a tiebreaker but missed a few opportunities to pull out the match and dropped it 8-9.

Singles were dead even between WV State and the Golden Eagles, each team taking three courts.  UC actually jumped ahead of the hosts when Ana Maria Pena and Jackie Bakos each made quick work of their opponents, giving Charleston a 3-2 match advantage.  The Jackets answered back on the #1 and #4 courts, once again taking a one match lead over UC.  Kelsey Hensley evened the match 4-4 with a strong performance at #2 singles, scratching out a 6-4, 7-6 win in some hard hitting action.

The #6 court would decide the match between these two rivals just 10 miles apart and this time the Jackets prevailed, winning the final court to secure a 5-4 win. 

Doubles
Franco/Campbell (WVSU) def. Katipa/Hensley (UC) 9-8
Edwards/Bakos (UC) def. Dillwald/Cataros (WVSU) 8-2
Sandy/Cumps (WVSU) def. Pena/Todd (UC) 8-1

Singles
Brittany Franco (WVSU) def. Toni Katipa (UC) 6-3, 6-2
Kelsey Hensley (UC) def. Brooke Campbell (WVSU) 6-4, 7-6
Ana Pena (UC) def. Charlotte Sandy (WVSU) 6-1, 6-1
Nina Dillwald (WVSU) def. Marieve Edwards (UC) 6-3, 7-6
Jackie Bakos (UC) def. Diana Cataros (WVSU) 6-4, 6-1
Brenda Cumpa (WVSU) def. Alize Uyttenhove (UC) 6-2, 6-3

Charleston has a busy weekend as they host UVa. Wise Saturday at 1pm followed by an out of conference match against Bluefield State College Sunday at 1pm.