MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's tennis team posted a 6-3 record in doubles competition and added six more victories in singles action at the Marquette Invitational, held Oct. 16-18 at the Sprovieri Tennis Complex.
Valentina Vallova led the Panthers in singles play, going a perfect 3-0 on the weekend. She opened with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Kaelyn Le of Omaha before earning a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) win against Northern Illinois' Malika Kabdesh. Vallova closed out her weekend with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Marquette's Lea Holmlund.
Lexie Hankel also enjoyed a strong tournament on the singles court, finishing 2-1 in her action. Hankel picked up back-to-back victories, defeating Omaha's Cat Rhegness, 6-4, 6-3, before taking down Marquette's Lea Holmlund, 6-4, 6-2.
The Panthers also saw success in doubles play, with several players contributing to the team's victories.
Natalia Castaneda Guerrero and Vallova teamed up for a pair of wins, defeating Western Illinois duos by final score of 6-0 and 6-1. Hankel and
Honoka Yamashita added two victories of their own, earning a 7-5 decision over Marquette and a 6-3 win against Western Illinois.
Nikola Nikolajeva and
Elisa Rubio also teamed up for a 6-1 victory over Western Illinois, while Rubio and Yamashita opened their doubles schedule with a 6-2 win against the Leathernecks.
The Marquette Invitational marked another opportunity for the team to compete against regional competition as the Panthers concluded their fall portion of the schedule. Participants in the event included host Marquette, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, and Omaha in addition to Milwaukee.
"The team had a great fall season and we learned a lot," head coach
Mark Goldin said. "We are really looking forward to getting back to practice and training on all the match notes to be prepared for spring portion of the schedule."
Marquette Invitational
10/16 to 10/18/2026 at Milwaukee, Wis. (Sprovieri Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
Lexie Hankel (Milwaukee) def. Cat Rhegness (Omaha) 6-4, 6-3
Lexie Hankel (Milwaukee) def. Lea Holmlund (Marquette) 6-4, 6-2
Emmerson White (Marquette) def.
Natalia Castaneda Guerrero (Milwaukee) 5-7, 7-6, 10-5
Iben Storkaas (Northern Illinois) def.
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 6-2, 6-4
Valentina Vallova (Milwaukee) def. Kaelyn Le (Omaha) 6-2, 6-2
Valentina Vallova (Milwaukee) def. Malika Kabdesh (Northern Illinois) 6-0, 7-6 (7-5)
Elena Duva (Marquette) def.
Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) 6-3, 5-7, 12-10
Kerrigan Spears (Omaha) def.
Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) 6-2, 6-1
Kate Thorne (Marquette) def.
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-4, 6-4
Malika Kabdesh (Northern Illinois) def.
Lexie Hankel (Milwaukee) 6-0, 3-6, 11-9
Cat Rhegness (Omaha) def.
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-0, 6-2
Valentina Vallova (Milwaukee) def. Lea Holmlund (Marquette) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
Elisa Rubio/
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Emma Dell/Rossetto D. de Souza (Western Illinois) 6-2
Theodora Kousiou/Iben Storkaas (Northern Illinois) def.
Lexie Hankel/
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 7-5
Natalia Castaneda Guerrero/
Valentina Vallova (Milwaukee) def. Nadezhda Petkova/Chloe Routier (Western Illinois) 6-0
Lea Holmlund/Maria Poon (Marquette) def.
Lexie Hankel/
Nikola Nikolajeva (Milwaukee) 6-0
Malika Kabdesh/Paulina Masherova (Northern Illinois) def.
Elisa Rubio/
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) 6-3
Lexie Hankel/
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Elisa Barnstedt/Elena Duva (Marquette) 7-5
Nikola Nikolajeva/
Elisa Rubio (Milwaukee) def. Nadezhda Petkova/Emma Dell (Western Illinois) 6-1
Lexie Hankel/
Honoka Yamashita (Milwaukee) def. Ananya Dhankhar/Rossetto D. de Souza (Western Illinois) 6-3
Natalia Castaneda Guerrero/
Valentina Vallova (Milwaukee) def. Emma Dell/Nadezhda Petkova (Western Illinois) 6-1
