Championship Central
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- The University of Charleston nipped West Virginia State, 5-4, to win the 2016 Mountain East Conference Women's Tennis Tournament title on Sunday at the Brian David Fox Tennis Complex.

The Golden Eagles grabbed a 2-1 lead after picking up wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. West Virginia State won quickly at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, but had to retire at No. 3 singles to tie the match at 3-3.

UC's Jackie Backos won at No. 6 singles to put UC back in front. At the top of the lineup at No. 2 singles, WVSU's Kierstin Hensley dropped the first set but won the next two to keep the Yellow Jackets' hope of a four-peat alive. The pivotal point came down to No. 1 singles where WVSU's Laura Isbey took on UC's Kristine Gegeshidze. Isbey won the first set in a tiebreaker, and then lost the second set narrowly, 7-5. In the third and decisive set for the championship, Gegeshidze rallied for the victory, 6-3, to give UC its first MEC title in women's tennis.

Charleston 5, West Virginia State 4
Doubles
#1 Slusarciuc/Katipa (UC) def. Yevstakhevych/Isbey (WVSU), 8-3
#2 Dillwald/Hensley (WVSU) def. Gegeshidze/Edwards (UC), 8-3
#3 Bakos/Uyttenhove (UC) def. McKnight/Goff (WVSU), 8-4

Singles
#1 Kristine Gegeshidze (UC) def. Laura Isbey (WVSU), 6-7, 7-5, 6-3
#2 Kierstin Hensley (WVSU) def. Elise Edwards (UC), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
#3 Toni Katipa (UC) def. Marta Yevstakhevych (WVSU), 6-3, 5-1 RET
#4 Nina Dillwald (WVSU) def. Silvana Slusarciuc (UC), 6-1, 6-0
#5 Kayla McKnight (WVSU) def. Alize Uyttenhove (UC), 6-4, 6-1
#6 Jackie Bakos (UC) def. Lindsay Goff (WVSU), 6-4, 6-1