EVANSTON, Ill. – Barbare Eristavi posted a strong start to the weekend in both singles and doubles, and the Western Michigan women's tennis team finished up a solid Friday at the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Northwestern. The team will resume action on Saturday morning.

Eristavi picked up wins in both singles and doubles play, downing her opponent in the Black Flight singles and teaming with Yuriko Ono to pick up a win in the Gray Flight doubles as well. Eristavi earned an impressive win over Oklahoma's Ann Pepper to open singles play, winning 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Black Flight before eventually falling in the second round to an opponent from UIC. Eristavi also notched a doubles win on the afternoon, teaming with Ono to beat the Sooners' Pepper and Brooke Withrow 8-4 on the afternoon.

Also picking up singles wins on the day were Meika Ashby and Olivia Myers, who both bounced back from losses in the Purple Main Draw to win their first consolation matches of the tournament. Myers cruised to a straight sets in over UIC's Oana Manole 6-3, 6-3, while Ashby was forced to hold off Eastern Michigan's Andrea Marinovska in a three-setter. Ashby lost the second set via tiebreaker but rolled in the third set, winning 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2.

Purple Flight Singles
Yuliya Shupenia (DEP) def. Caroline Aleck (WMU), 6-1, 6-2
Erin Faulkner (MSU) def. Olivia Myers (WMU), 7-6, (8), 7-5
Morgan Chumney (OU) def. Meika Ashby (WMU), 6-1, 2-6, 7-5
Audrey Ann Blakely (Pitt) def. Tracy Kuhle (WMU), 6-2, 6-3

Purple Flight Singles Consolation
Olivia Myers (WMU) def. Oana Manole (UIC), 6-3, 6-3
Meika Ashby (WMU) def. Andrea Marinovska (EMU), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2
Daphne Friedrichs (EMU) def. Tracy Kuhle (WMU), 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3

Black Flight Singles
Barbare Eristavi (WMU) def. Ann Pepper (OU), 6-4, 6-2
Molly Wickman (Pitt) def. Ella Perinovic (WMU), 6-2, 6-2
Amanda Wickman (Pitt) def. Yuriko Ono (WMU), 6-3, 6-4
Keti Mebuke (UIC) def. Barbare Eristavi (WMU), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3

Black Flight Singles Consolation
Melika LeBlanc (UIC) def. Ella Perinovic (WMU), 6-1, 6-2
Alejandra Barcelo-Almoyna (EMU) def. Labina Petrovska (WMU), 7-5, 4-6, 7-5

White Flight Doubles
Jillian Rooney/Erin Larner (NU) def. Meika Ashby/Tracy Kuhle (WMU), 8-6
Erin Faulkner/Athena Trouillot (MSU) def. Caroline Aleck/Olivia Myers (WMU), 8-5

Gray Flight Doubles
Barbare Eristavi/Yuriko Ono (WMU) def. Ann Pepper/Brooke Withrow (OU), 8-4
Oana Manole/Bianca Zuzu (UIC) def. Labina Petrovska/Ella Perinovic (WMU), 8-7 (3)