Wayne State University’s women’s tennis team was narrowly defeated 4-3 by Grand Valley State University in the GLIAC Tournament Championship. The top-seeded Wayne State squad had a promising start, securing victory in two of the three doubles matches to take an early lead. Anais Ruyssen and Dea Gorgidze dominated in the No. 1 doubles, defeating Neus Ramos Moreno and Valentina Mozas 6-1. Martyna Szpakowska and Shanice Weekes also contributed with a win in the No. 3 spot, with a score of 6-3.
Despite the early advantage, Wayne State faced a tough challenge in singles where five of the six matches extended to third-set tie-breakers. Anais Ruyssen continued her strong performance, winning against Ramos Moreno in straight sets. Malak Arafat added another singles win, overcoming Mozas in three sets. However, the Wayne State players faced stiff resistance, with Shanice Weekes and Justine Beaulieu losing in close matches. Shantala Uzcategui also fell to Kalomoira Ralli after a competitive three-set battle.
In the decisive No. 3 singles match, Dea Gorgidze faced Anna Soteras in a tense contest. After splitting the first two sets and with the score tied at 3-3 overall, Gorgidze took a 6-5 lead in the final set before Soteras leveled the score and ultimately claimed the match.
With the GLIAC tournament concluded, attention now turns to the NCAA regional polls, with updates expected soon on Wayne State’s rankings and future matches.
