CHICAGO, Ill. – The Milwaukee women's tennis team faced a tough challenge Friday night, taking on the No. 2 team in the nation at the NCAA Division III level.
 
"The team fought hard," head coach Mark Goldin said. "Chicago is the DIII defending national champion and [head coach] Jay Tee has done an amazing job with the program."
 
Despite several strong efforts throughout, the team fell to the University of Chicago by a final score of 6-1 from XS Tennis.
 
"Our focus is to improve every time from the last match to the next match and we accomplished this," Goldin said. "We have 10 more matches to improve before our first conference match and 17 more before the conference tournament. Can't wait to see the adjustments we make tomorrow at Valpo."
 
The Panthers (3-3) struck first against the Maroons (4-0) in doubles, with Nadiia Konieva and Nikola Nikolajeva picking up a dominant 6-1 decision at No. 2 doubles to open the evening.
 
The Maroons – the reigning 2024 NCAA National Champions – fought back, taking decisions at No. 2 and No. 3 to earn the doubles point.
 
Singles play also started well for Milwaukee, with Nikolajeva defeating Isabelle Chong 6-0, 6-4 to record MKE's first point of the evening.
 
Despite strong efforts up and down the lineup, the team was not able to secure a second individual victory as the nationally-ranked Maroons won their 20^th consecutive dual overall dating back to last year, as well as their 20^th consecutive at home (last falling at home in February of 2022).
 
Konieva gave it a stellar effort, overcoming a dropped first set to even it up at 1-1 with a 6-2 win in set No. 2. Down 5-1 in the third, Konieva battled all the way back to force a tiebreaker before suffering a heartbreaking 7-6 (7-5) defeat in the third.
 
The team continues the road trip Saturday, heading to Indiana to compete against former Horizon League foe Valparaiso. The Panthers and Beacons will get action underway at 3 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.
 
#2 UChicago 6, Milwaukee 1
Singles competition
1. Sylwia Mikos (UCHICAGO) def. Nadiia Konieva (MKE) 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)
2. Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) def. Isabelle Chong (UCHICAGO) 6-0, 6-4
3. Nicole Geller (UCHICAGO) def. Laure Razet (MKE) 6-2, 6-2
4. Clara Zou (UCHICAGO) def. Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-3, 6-3
5. Oliwia Mikos (UCHICAGO) def. Emilia Durska (MKE) 6-4, 6-4
6. Brooke Pedersen (UCHICAGO) def. Elisa Rubio (MKE) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Nadiia Konieva/Nikola Nikolajeva (MKE) def. Sylwia Mikos/Oliwia Mikos (UCHICAGO) 6-1
2. Shanna Guo/Lauren Khou (UCHICAGO) def. Laure Razet/Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-2
3. Isabelle Chong/Charlotte Klein (UCHICAGO) def. Emilia Durska/Giorgia Cavestro (MKE) 6-2