SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State tennis team recorded five singles wins during the first day of the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championship here Friday.
 
Cristina Flaquer will continue on in the first flight with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Olivia Czerwonka from Valparaiso. The first set was a battle, but after winning 7-5, Flaquer ran the second set to win 6-1.
 
After winning the first set 6-2, Mary Houston battled Murray State's Varvara Alexeyeva in the second set. Houston was up 5-4, but Alexeyeva won two straight sets to make the score 6-5 in her favor. Houston won the next set to force a tie break which she won 7-4 to stay in the fight for first in the second flight.
 
In the fifth flight, Sandra Lukacova also stays in the fight for first. After dropping the first set 3-6, she came back to win the second set by the same margin. Lukacova dominated Bradley's Alexandra Hildreth in the third set to win 6-1.
 
Lisa Muehlbauer is the other Bear still in the fight for a first-place prize. She won the first set 6-4 then lost the second set 3-6. Muehlbauer fought hard in the third and final set and ended the day with a 6-4 win over Sreelasya Mylavarapu in the seventh flight.
 
"It was a solid first day," head coach Ellie Burger said. "We had a lot of good in our singles and I'm looking forward to seeing our success tomorrow."
 
Singles play continues tomorrow at 10 a.m. at Cooper Tennis Complex.
   
Singles Results
Flight No. 1 - Cristina Flaquer (6-1)
Defeated Olivia Czerwonka (Valpo) – 7-5, 6-1
 
Flight No. 4 - Tuana Gunal (4-2)
Lost to Sydney Stone (Valpo) – 6-1, 6-1
 
Flight No. 2 - Mary Houston (3-4)
Defeated Varvara Alexeyeva (MUR) – 6-2, 7-6 (4)
 
Flight No. 6 - Sandra Lukacova (4-3)
Defeated Alexandra Hildreth (BRAD) – 3-6, 6-3, 6-1
 
Flight No. 7 - Lisa Muehlbauer (1-5)
Defeated Sreelasya Mylavarapu (UNI) – 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
 
Flight No. 3 - Juliette Robinson (6-2)
Defeated Kim Zizek (VALPO) – 7-6 (4), 6-3
Lost to Lana Caculovic (ILS) – 6-3, 6-0
 
Doubles Results
Flight No. 1 - Cristina Flaquer/Mary Houston (4-3)
Lost to Darta Delecka/Lorena Cardoso (UNI) – 8-5
 
Flight No. 2 - Lisa Muehlbauer/Sandra Lukacova (0-1)
Lost to Nolena Kolarevic/Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) – 8-3
 
Flight No. 3 - Tuana Gunal/Juliette Robinson (0-2)
Lost to Elizabete Klavinska/Nicole Lee (Drake) – 8-4