Completed Event: Women's Tennis versus W15 Lincoln on November 3, 2025 ,
W Tennis
vs W15 Lincoln
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, January 26
Phoenix, Ariz.
3 P.M.
Grand Canyon
3
vs
4
Nevada
Lopes fall to Wolfpack 4-3
1/26/2019 6:43:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Final match proves to be the difference
The Grand Canyon women's tennis team played in its third consecutive close match Saturday but lost 4-3 to Nevada at the GCU Tennis Facility.
"The girls had a great battle tonight," Lopes head coach Greg Prudhomme said. "Unfortunately, it didn't go our way. This match was exactly like our last two matches, which were close, hard-fought wins that the team earned. I'm still really proud of the way the girls fought."
The Wolfpack (4-0) jumped to a 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. The Lopes (2-2) fell 6-2 at Nos. 2 and 3, but saw the top duo of Emilia Occhipinti and Celina Buhr win 6-4 to extend their winning streak to two matches.
In singles, the teams split the first four matches. Nevada won in straight sets at Nos. 5 and 6 but GCU countered with wins at Nos. 4 and 1. Celia Morel, in her first season with the Lopes, won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 4 and Occhipinti won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 for her third straight singles win.
With the team score at 3-2 in favor of Nevada, the Lopes needed to win the last two matches to pull out the win.
At No. 2, Lo Pumo was up 5-0 in the second set after winning 7-5 in the first set. Her opponent, Melissa Huchet, won the next five games to tie the set. GCU's sophomore from Sicily, Italy then regrouped and won the final two games to take the match 7-5, 7-5, and tie the team score at 3-3.
"We looked like we were completely out of it early on losing the doubles points," Prudhomme added. "But the girls rallied and we had some good first sets in singles. Celia is really finding her way after transferring to us. She's adjusting nicely. Emilia won again and has three straight wins at the No. 1 position. She looked fantastic. And Martina did a great job fighting off her opponent and getting us the third point at court two."
While Lo Pumo was finishing at No. 2, Buhr was in a battle at No. 4. The junior from Germany pushed the second set to a tiebreaker after losing the first set and won the tiebreaker 7-3 to extend the match. In the third set, the Wolfpack's Adriana Gregelyova took control and won 6-2, giving Nevada its fourth straight win to start the season.
"We were as close to winning that match as we were to losing," Prudhomme said. "The girls showed again, for the third time in a row, their mental toughness. It was a tough fight. We couldn't get over the finish line, but I know they are a little better for it."
The women's team will be back in action next weekend as it continues a five-match homestand. The Lopes will face Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 2.
"The girls had a great battle tonight," Lopes head coach Greg Prudhomme said. "Unfortunately, it didn't go our way. This match was exactly like our last two matches, which were close, hard-fought wins that the team earned. I'm still really proud of the way the girls fought."
The Wolfpack (4-0) jumped to a 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. The Lopes (2-2) fell 6-2 at Nos. 2 and 3, but saw the top duo of Emilia Occhipinti and Celina Buhr win 6-4 to extend their winning streak to two matches.
In singles, the teams split the first four matches. Nevada won in straight sets at Nos. 5 and 6 but GCU countered with wins at Nos. 4 and 1. Celia Morel, in her first season with the Lopes, won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 4 and Occhipinti won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 for her third straight singles win.
With the team score at 3-2 in favor of Nevada, the Lopes needed to win the last two matches to pull out the win.
At No. 2, Lo Pumo was up 5-0 in the second set after winning 7-5 in the first set. Her opponent, Melissa Huchet, won the next five games to tie the set. GCU's sophomore from Sicily, Italy then regrouped and won the final two games to take the match 7-5, 7-5, and tie the team score at 3-3.
"We looked like we were completely out of it early on losing the doubles points," Prudhomme added. "But the girls rallied and we had some good first sets in singles. Celia is really finding her way after transferring to us. She's adjusting nicely. Emilia won again and has three straight wins at the No. 1 position. She looked fantastic. And Martina did a great job fighting off her opponent and getting us the third point at court two."
While Lo Pumo was finishing at No. 2, Buhr was in a battle at No. 4. The junior from Germany pushed the second set to a tiebreaker after losing the first set and won the tiebreaker 7-3 to extend the match. In the third set, the Wolfpack's Adriana Gregelyova took control and won 6-2, giving Nevada its fourth straight win to start the season.
"We were as close to winning that match as we were to losing," Prudhomme said. "The girls showed again, for the third time in a row, their mental toughness. It was a tough fight. We couldn't get over the finish line, but I know they are a little better for it."
The women's team will be back in action next weekend as it continues a five-match homestand. The Lopes will face Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 2.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,1
#1 Singles Match
12
Lili Fekete / 0 [NV]
22
66
#2 Singles Match
12
Melissa Huchet / 0 [NV]
55
77
#3 Singles Match
123
Adriana Gergelyova / 0 [NV]
666
472
#4 Singles Match
12
Roos vanReek / 0 [NV]
33
66
#5 Singles Match
12
Selina Turulja / 0 [NV]
66
24
#6 Singles Match
12
Maria Tatarnikova / 0 [NV]
76
50
Order of Finish:
6,4,1,5,2,3
Players Mentioned
Women's Wins the WAC Title
Monday, April 21