MESA, Ariz. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's tennis team clinched a spot in the championship match of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament with a 4-3 win over No. 4 Grand Canyon University (GCU) on Saturday at the Mesa Tennis Center.
 
UTRGV (14-8) will face second-seeded UMKC in the championship match tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the Mesa Tennis Center. UMKC defeated Seattle U on Saturday.
 
UTRGV fell behind early as GCU (8-15) took the doubles point and the 1-0 lead into singles. 
 
Sophomore Anastasia Belyaeva got UTRGV on the board with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Celina Buhr on court four tying the match at one apiece. 
 
GCU answered back with a win on court two to regain the lead but moments later it was junior Doris Aleksovska coming away with the 6-4, 6-2 win over Valentina Mokrova on court five, which tied the match at two.
 
GCU once again answered with a win on court one, which put them one match away from clinching the win but freshman Lasya Patnaik beat Kylie Waschuk 7-6, 6-4 on court six tying the match at three and bringing the deciding match to court three.
 
Junior Marine Darzyan opened with a 6-4 win in the first set against Martina Lo Pumo but found herself trailing in the second but forced the tiebreaker at 6-6. Darzyan and Lo Pumo went back and forth but it was Darzyan with the 8-6 win the tiebreaker and the 7-6 win in the second clinching the win for UTRGV.
 
Singles (4,2,5,1,6,3)
1. Lana Rinaldi (GCU) def. Dominique Esparza (UTRGV) 7-5, 6-3
2. Emilia Occhipinti (GCU) def. Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) 6-4, 6-2
3. Marine Darzyan (UTRGV) def. Martina Lo Pumo (GCU) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
4. Anastasia Belyaeva (UTRGV) def. Celina Buhr (GCU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Doris Aleksovska (UTRGV) def. Valentina Mokrova (GCU) 6-4, 6-2
6. Lasya Patnaik (UTRGV) def. Kylie Waschuk (GCU) 7-6 (3), 6-4
 
Doubles (3,2,1)
1.. Lana Rinaldi/Emilia Occhipinti (GCU) def. Marine Darzyan/Dominique Ibarra (UTRGV) 7-5
2. Dominique Esparza/Doris Aleksovska (UTRGV) def. Ludouica Infantino/Celina Buhr (GCU) 6-4
3. Kylie Waschuk/Autum Prudhomme (GCU) def. Anastasia Belyaeva/Lasya Patnaik (UTRGV) 6-4

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