EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Milwaukee women's tennis team concluded the fall portion of the 2023-24 season with a strong showing at the ITA Midwest Regional, held at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility and hosted by Michigan State over the weekend.
 
The Panthers were one of 23 teams competing in the weekend event. The winner of each draw earned an automatic ticket to the ITA All-American Championships.
 
The team concluded the event by making program history, seeing Nadiia Konieva claim MKE's first-ever singles victory in the main ITA draw.
 
In addition, the doubles team of Konieva and Laure Razet also came through with a big victory to highlight doubles action.
 
"The team had an opportunity to compete against some of the top schools in the country and we showed that we belonged," head coach Mark Goldin said. "And it was great to see Nadiia make program history by winning the first ITA main-draw singles match in school history. Everyone who competed battled in each of their matches and helped us finish the fall on a strong note."
 
Konieva knocked off Marquette's Emilijia Kojcic 7-5, 6-1 in first-round action before falling to Notre Dame's Julie Andreah 6-2, 6-1.
 
Konieva and Razet took care of Silvia Pomarolli and Nevena Kolarevic from Illinois State in the opening round of the doubles draw by a final score of 8-3. The duo played well but were knocked out by Page Freeman and Maria Olivia Castedo from Notre Dame by a final score of 8-3 the next match.
 
Razet started off singles qualifying action with a victory as well, topping Prerna Vichare from Eastern Michigan 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. In the second round, she fell to Neena Feldman of Northwestern 6-2, 6-3.
 
"We are making big improvements every week and next week we will get back to the court to put in the work and continue to grow," Goldin said. "We are very pleased with how the fall went and look forward to the rest of the season."
 
Also playing in singles qualifying was Babette Burgersdijk and Sara Simonova, while the doubles squads of Giorgia Cavestro/Iva Stejskalova and Burgersdijk/Simonova also competed in first-round matches.
 
Overall, the fall campaign saw Konieva lead the way with a singles mark of 5-1, with Razet close behind at 5-2. Evelina Anastasi was next with four victories (4-2). On the double side, Konieva paced the Panthers (7-1), with Cavestro (6-1) and Razet (6-2) close behind. Stejskalova (5-2) was right in the mix as well.
 
That concludes the fall portion of the schedule for Milwaukee. The Panthers will take an extended break and begin again in the New Year, taking on Drake on the road Jan. 26.
 
ITA Tennis Results (Oct. 12-14)
 
Doubles
Nadiia Konieva/Laure Razet defeat Silvia Pomarolli/Nevena Kolarevic (Illinois State) 8-3
 
Nadiia Konieva/Laure Razet fall to Page Freeman/Maria Olivia Castedo (Notre Dame) 8-3
 
Giorgia Cavestro/Iva Stejskalova fall to Andrea Quiroz/Kseniia Saenko (Eastern Michigan) 8-3
 
Babette Burgersdijk/Sara Simonova fall to McKenna Schaefbauer/Josie Frazier (Illinois) 8-4
 
Singles qualifying
Laure Razet defeat Prerna Vichare (Eastern Michigan) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Laure Razet falls to Neena Feldman (Northwestern) 6-2, 6-3
 
Babette Burgersdijk falls to Mayu Ushio (UIC) 6-2, 6-4
 
Sara Simonova falls to Karin Hamilton (Western Michigan) 7-5, 3-6, 0-6
 
Singles Main Draw
Nadiia Konieva defeat Emilijia Kojcic (Marquette) 7-5, 6-1
Nadiia Konieva falls to Julie Andreah (Notre Dame) 6-2, 6-1