KOHALA COAST—The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team wrapped up its Fall schedule with the Hawai'i/Stanford Invitational which was played at the Fairmont Orchid Hawai'i on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island. The two-day tournament was highlighted by UH's Nikola Homolkova upsetting 49^th-ranked Alexandra Yepifanova on Saturday.
 
The Cardinal were dominant in doubles, sweeping all eight matches over the two days. UH's closest contested matches came on Saturday with Stella Masuda and Nelly Knezkova coming up just short against Yepifanova and Alexis Blokhina, 8-5, while Ana Vilcek and Homolkova fell to Stanford's Connie Ma and Katherine Hui, 8-5.
 
On Sunday, the two teams competed in both singles and doubles. In singles, Homolkova held Yepifanova in three. Homolkova won the first set and Yepifanova edged out Homolkova in a second set tiebreaker to even the match at a set apiece. In the third set super tiebreaker, Homolkova held off Yepifanova by two, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (8). Hawai'i's Vilcek won her second set to force a third set super tiebreaker in which she fell against 11^th-ranked Ma, 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (3). UH's Knezkova played well but fell short in two to Stanford's 64^th-ranked Blokhina, 6-3, 7-5.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will kick-off the new year hosting the season opening Weinman Foundation Invitational which runs from Wednesday, Jan. 3-Sunday, Jan. 7 at the UH Tennis Complex. Coming to compete in the five-day tournament are BYU, California, Florida State and NC State.
 
 
HAWAI'I / STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Fairmont Orchid, Hawai'i – Kohala Coast, Hawaii
Nov. 18-19, 2023
 
Saturday Results
Doubles
Alexandra Yepifanova/Alexis Blokhina (STAN) def. Stella Masuda/Nelly Knezkova (UH), 8-5
Connie Ma/Katherine Hui (STAN) def. Nikola Homolkova/Ana Vilcek (UH), 8-5
Valencia Xu/Eleana Yu (STAN) def. Anna Kern/Joelle Lanz (UH), 8-4
Emma Sun/Chidlimma Okpara (STAN) def. Isabella Pampulov/Kaitlyn Ralar (UH), 8-3
 
Sunday Results
Doubles
#28 Connie Ma/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) def. Stella Masuda/Nelly Knezkova, (UH) 6-1
Alexis Blokhina/Eleana Yu (STAN) def. Ana Vilcek/Nikola Homolkova (UH), 6-1
Katherine Hui/Valencia Xu (STAN) def. Anna Kern/Joelle Lanz, (UH) 6-2
Emma Sun/Chidlimma Okpara (STAN) def. Isabella Pampulov/Kaitlyn Ralar (UH), 6-0
 
Singles
#11 Connie Ma (Stanford) def. Ana Vilcek (UH) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3
Nikola Homolkova (UH) def. #49 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN), 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-8
#64 Alexis Blokhina (STAN) def. Nelly Knezkova (UH), 6-3, 7-5
#50 Valencia Xu (STAN) def. Sheena Masuda (UH), 6-3, 6-3
Catherine Hui (STAN) def. Joelle Lanz (UH), 6-0, 6-0
Eleana Yu (STAN) def. Anna Kern (UH), 6-0, 6-2
Emma Sun (STAN) def. Kaitlyn Ralar (UH), 6-0