KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Milwaukee women's tennis team opened the 2023-24 school year schedule at the Betsy Kuhle Invitational over the weekend, hosted by Western Michigan at the West Hills Athletic Club.
 
The event marked the debut of new MKE head coach Mark Goldin.
 
The team played well all weekend and posted some strong results, finishing the three-day event with eight individual victories in singles play and five in doubles action.
 
Individually, Nadiia Konieva was stellar, going a perfect 6-0 on the weekend, finishing 3-0 in both singles and doubles action.
 
Other highlights included newcomer Laure Razet winning 2-of-3 in both singles and doubles to go 4-2 overall, Evelina Anastasi winning her first two collegiate singles matches, and the doubles team of Konieva and Giorgia Cavestro going undefeated at 3-0.
 
"The team really got off to a solid start Friday, everyone was fighting hard and competing," Goldin said. "Overall, the team showed tremendous mental toughness and fought for every point. I am proud of how the team competed and am excited to see how much they will continue to improve."
 
Konieva started Friday with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Maria Oliveira from Youngstown State and came back Saturday with a 6-2, 6-1 handling of Marquette's Sarah Badawi. She made it 3-for-3 with a thrilling three-setter Sunday, outlasting Western Michigan's Ariane Souligny by a final score of 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 10-6.
 
Konieva and Cavestro opened doubles with a 6-2 defeat of YSU and then toppled Marquette by a final of 6-4. They had to go to tie-break Sunday but came through with the 7-6 (8-6) victory over Western Michigan.
 
Razet made a great Panther debut, topping Michigan State's Sarah Fazlagic 6-1, 6-3 in her very first match and then outlasting Oakland's Edie Hammond Sunday by a final of 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.
 
Anastasi, the freshman, didn't miss a beat in her collegiate debut Friday, easily dispatching YSU's Line Greyling by a 6-0, 6-2 scoreline. She then beat Western Michigan's Sofia Balsera 7-5, 6-4 in her second match.
 
Sara Simonova also put together a great effort against Marquette's Andie Weise Saturday, claiming a 6-1, 1-6, 10-3 three-set victory.
 
Up next, the Panthers participate in the Warhawk Invitational this upcoming weekend, playing in Whitewater Friday and Saturday.