YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Milwaukee women's tennis team spent a successful weekend in Ohio, competing at the second annual Horizon League Individual Championships.
 
The event, hosted by Youngstown State, was held at the YSU Tennis Center from Friday through Sunday, with the Panthers participating in singles and doubles competition. All six programs from the league were on hand.
 
The field featured a 32-player 'Singles Draw' as well as a 16-team 'Doubles Draw'. The first two days saw two rounds of singles and one round of doubles action, while Championship Sunday held both event finals.
 
The duo of Emilia Durska and newcomer Nel Van Hout led the list of highlights, playing all the way to the championship final of the doubles draw before falling.
 
"The Panthers had a great weekend in Youngstown," head coach Mark Goldin said "This is a special team this year, we have a ton of talent, and the team chemistry is off to a great start. They are fighting hard to win for each other and the team. This is the type of team culture that will lead to great success."
 
It was Nikola Nikolajeva and Van Hout who highlighted the action on the singles side, with each recording 3-1 records on their way to semifinals showings.
 
 "Last year we didn't get anyone past the second round at this event," Goldin said. "This year Nel and Emilia made it to the finals of doubles, Nika and Nel made it to the semifinals of singles, and Nadiia lost a close three-set match in the quarterfinals to the eventual singles champion."
 
Nikolajeva came up just short of that championship appearance, falling in three sets to Oliwia Klimas of Oakland, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. Van Hout played strong in defeat as well, dropping a 7-4 (7-4), 7-5 nailbiter to Oakland's Martyna Piechowicz.
 
Nadiia Konieva also made it out of round one, topping Sofia Sergieva of Cleveland State, 6-2, 6-3, before falling in the Round of 16.
 
Doubles play was strong for Durska and Van Hout all weekend. In fact, the tandem led 5-3 and 6-4 in the final match before YSU pulled off the decision.
 
"I am extremely proud of how hard the girls competed," Goldin said. "We also had a fun weekend celebrating Nika's [Nikola Nikolajeva] birthday together. We are looking forward to getting back on court."
 
Up next, the Panthers will wrap up the fall season with a pair of matches against Whitewater this upcoming Friday and Saturday.

Singles Play
Round One
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Lorena Cedeno (Youngstown St.) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Sarah Partida Garcia (Youngstown St.) def. Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Hanan Awale (IU Indy) 6-0, 6-3
Nisa Bulut (Oakland) def. Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) 6-1, 6-3
Hanna Telzynska (Youngstown St.) def. Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-2, 6-0
Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) def. Sofia Sergieva (Cleveland St.) 6-2, 6-3

Round of 16
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Melliz Petkova (Cleveland St.) 6-2, 6-3
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Anna Mancino (Cleveland St.) 6-2, 6-2
Martyna Piechowicz (Oakland) def. Nadiia Konieva (Milwaukee) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Quarterfinals
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) def. Emeilia Jarvinen (Oakland) 6-4, 6-1
Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) def. Nisa Bulut (Oakland) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
 
Semifinals
Oliwia Klimas (Oakland) def. Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
Martyna Piechowicz (Oakland) def. Nel Van Hout (Milwaukee) 7-4 (7-4), 7-5
 
 
Doubles Play
Round of 16
Lorena Cedeno/Lydia Foster (YSU) def. Nadiia Konieva/Sara Simonova (Milwaukee) 8-6
Nel Van Hout/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Nisa Bulut/Charlotte Holmes (Oakland) 8-5
Kallyhan Kadzinski/Chloe Bailey (IU Indy) def. Nikola Nikolajeva/Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 8-4
 
Quarterfinals
Nel Van Hout/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Laura Tapia Gonzalez/Melliz Petkova (Cleveland St.) 8-6
 
Semifinals
Nel Van Hout/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) def. Lorena Cedeno/Lydia Foster (YSU) 8-3
 
Finals
Line Greyling/Yeseniia Ovcharova (YSU) def. Nel Van Hout/Emilia Durska (Milwaukee) 8-6