BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Senior Vendula Kryslova clinched the Bellarmine women's tennis team's first win of 2026, leading the Knights to a 4-3 victory at Western Kentucky on Thursday afternoon.

Beginning in doubles, Kryslova and partner, sophomore, Reese Parker got things going with a 6-2 win over WKU's Andra Sirbu and Emily Schut on court one.

Western Kentucky evened the doubles action with a win on court three but Bellarmine responded with a second and deciding victory on court two as freshman Gracie Hurley and junior Lillie Willis downed Isabelle Einess and Elizabeth Sobieski 6-3, giving the Knights the team point for a 1-0 lead.

In singles, Hurley, making her third consecutive start since joining the team this semester, made quick work of Barbara Olvera, winning 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 3 singles match. Junior Nikola Kollaritsch followed her with a win in the No. 6 spot, defeating Sobieski 6-0, 6-2, putting Bellarmine ahead 3-0.

The Hilltoppers responded in the fifth singles flight for their first point before Kryslova clinched the match in favor of the Knights with a 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) victory in the top singles flight, taking down Einess.
From there, WKU earned wins in flights two and four as the match was played out after the Knights secured the win.

Bellarmine moves to 5-2 in dual play this season with another two matches on tap this weekend as BU returns home to host University of the Cumberlands (KY) and Marshall at the Eddie Weber Tennis Complex on Saturday, January 17.

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