LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team came close to posting a non-conference upset before falling 4-3 to No. 52 Penn State on a gorgeous Sunday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
The Rebels dropped to 7-2 on the year while the Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference improved to 8-1.
 
UNLV opened the day by simply dominating doubles play. Kaho Oyama and Sofiia Sokolvak finished first by blanking Yvonne Zuffova and Jelena Vico, 6-0, at the third position. The hosts were also leading on the second court when Nikol Mircheva and Hanna Vinahradava clinched the team point by finishing off 77th-ranked Maiko Uchijima and Olivia Dorner, 6-3.
 
The hosts needed to at least split the six singles matches to pull off the victory but PSU rallied to earn a trio of straight-setters to take a 3-1 lead. Uchijima, who lost the first set on court two, ended up downing Veronica Kliuch for the all-important fourth point, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
 
Oyama came back on court five, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, over Zuffova and then Cindy Hu won at the top of the lineup, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, over Dorner for the final point of the match.
 
REBEL OF THE MATCH: Freshman Kaho Oyama teamed up for a rare 6-0 doubles win then took a three-setter in singles play.
 
UP NEXT: After closing out its season-opening nine-match homestand, UNLV will head out on the road for the first time, starting with a visit to Rice on Friday.
 
Women's Tennis Match Results
#52 PENN STATE 4, UNLV 3
Feb. 23, 2025, at Las Vegas
(Fertitta Tennis Complex)

Singles competition
1. Cindy Hu (UNLV) def. Olivia Dorner (PSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
2. Maiko Uchijima (PSU) def. Veronica Kliuch (UNLV) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Patricia Grigoras (PSU) def. Coco Zhao (UNLV) 7-6, 6-4
4. Jelena Vico (PSU) def. Nikol Mircheva (UNLV) 6-1, 6-3
5. Kaho Oyama (UNLV) def. Yvonne Zuffova (PSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
6. Jordina Cegarra (PSU) def. Hanna Vinahradava (UNLV) 6-4, 6-2

 Doubles competition
1. Nikol Mircheva/Hanna Vinahradava (UNLV) def. #77 Maiko Uchijima/Olivia Dorner (PSU) 6-3
2. Cindy Hu/Coco Zhao (UNLV) vs. Jordina Cegarra/Patricia Grigoras (PSU) 5-4, unfinished
3. Kaho Oyama/Sofiia Sokolvak (UNLV) def. Yvonne Zuffova/Jelena Vico (PSU) 6-0

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,4,3,2,5,1)