Senior Vendula Kryslova played a key role in leading the Bellarmine women’s tennis team to a 4-3 win over Western Kentucky University (WKU) on Thursday afternoon. The match, held in Bowling Green, marked Bellarmine’s first victory of the 2026 season.
The doubles round began with Kryslova and sophomore Reese Parker securing a 6-2 win against WKU’s Andra Sirbu and Emily Schut on court one. After WKU won on court three, Bellarmine responded with freshman Gracie Hurley and junior Lillie Willis defeating Isabelle Einess and Elizabeth Sobieski 6-3 on court two. This gave the Knights an early lead by capturing the doubles point.
In singles play, Hurley continued her strong start since joining the team this semester, winning 6-3, 6-2 over Barbara Olvera in the No. 3 singles match. Junior Nikola Kollaritsch added another point for Bellarmine by beating Sobieski 6-0, 6-2 at No. 6 singles, putting the Knights ahead 3-0.
WKU earned their first point in the fifth singles flight. Kryslova then clinched the overall victory for Bellarmine by defeating Einess 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) in the top singles position. Afterward, WKU won matches in flights two and four as play continued after Bellarmine had already secured enough points for the team win.
Bellarmine now holds a record of 5-2 in dual matches this season. The team will return home to host University of the Cumberlands (KY) and Marshall at Eddie Weber Tennis Complex on Saturday, January 17.
“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.”
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