Photo by: Brittany Evans
Denver Women’s Tennis Opens Season with Five Wins at Husker Invite
9/25/2026 6:59:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Six Pioneers combine for wins on first day of 2026 fall campaign
LINCOLN, Nebraska – The University of Denver women's tennis team picked up five wins on the first day of its fall season at the 2026 Husker Invitational, hosted by the University of Nebraska, on Friday.
In total, six of Denver's student-athletes picked up a victory to begin their campaign, starting with the sophomore-freshman duo of Yunfei Cai and Frankie Tye, which came away with a convincing 8-3 doubles victory in the morning. It marked Tye's first collegiate win, doubles or singles.
Cai was one of two Pioneers who ended up in a three-set battle in singles. She was able to force a decider after rallying from a set down but a single-break difference ended with her dropping the final set, 4-6.
Freshman Caroline Daugherty, too, went to three sets in singles but came away with the win in what would be her first NCAA win. After winning the first set relatively easily at 6-2, Minnesota's Ksenia Hanke responded to take the second set and send things to the third where Daugherty settled back in to claim the win.
Daugherty's doubles partner and fellow Coloradoan Remy Nguyen joined her in the win column, dropping just three total games on her way to a convincing 6-2 6-1 win. The result equaled her fewest games lost in a singles match in her career thus far.
Both of DU's transfers added singles wins in the Denver debuts as well – each doing so with nearly identical two-set wins. Fifth year student-athlete Paulina Jurkowska claimed her first DU win, 6-3 6-4, while junior Sofia Mavor won her match with a flipped scoreline of 6-4 6-3. The two also teamed up in doubles to open the day's play.
The 2026 Husker Invitational continues on Saturday with a second round of each doubles and singles, beginning at 9 a.m. CT/8 a.m. MT.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Doubles
Cai/Tye def. Boukirat/Hanke (Minnesota); 8-3
Koneva/McCarty (Kansas) def. Daugherty/Nguyen: 8-3
Kellner/San Martin (Iowa State) def. Hansen/Jaiani: 8-3
Raidt/Spencer (Nebraska) def. Jurkowska/Mavor: 8-5
Singles
Anna Putilina (Kansas) def. Yunfei Cai: 6-3 3-6 6-4
Caroline Daugherty def. Ksenia Hanke (Minnesota): 6-2 4-6 6-3
Nora Knezevic (Minnesota) def. Ruby Hansen: 6-4 6-3
Valeska San Martin (Iowa State) def. Natali Jaiani: 6-2 6-2
Paulina Jurkowska def. Caroline Manzi (Kansas): 6-3 6-4
Sofia Mavor def. Neda Rahimkhani (Nebraska): 6-4 6-3
Remy Nguyen def. Simryn Jacob (Kansas): 6-2 6-1
Millie Skelton (Missouri) def. Frankie Tye: 6-1 6-2
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SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
To be announced
In total, six of Denver's student-athletes picked up a victory to begin their campaign, starting with the sophomore-freshman duo of Yunfei Cai and Frankie Tye, which came away with a convincing 8-3 doubles victory in the morning. It marked Tye's first collegiate win, doubles or singles.
Cai was one of two Pioneers who ended up in a three-set battle in singles. She was able to force a decider after rallying from a set down but a single-break difference ended with her dropping the final set, 4-6.
Freshman Caroline Daugherty, too, went to three sets in singles but came away with the win in what would be her first NCAA win. After winning the first set relatively easily at 6-2, Minnesota's Ksenia Hanke responded to take the second set and send things to the third where Daugherty settled back in to claim the win.
Daugherty's doubles partner and fellow Coloradoan Remy Nguyen joined her in the win column, dropping just three total games on her way to a convincing 6-2 6-1 win. The result equaled her fewest games lost in a singles match in her career thus far.
Both of DU's transfers added singles wins in the Denver debuts as well – each doing so with nearly identical two-set wins. Fifth year student-athlete Paulina Jurkowska claimed her first DU win, 6-3 6-4, while junior Sofia Mavor won her match with a flipped scoreline of 6-4 6-3. The two also teamed up in doubles to open the day's play.
The 2026 Husker Invitational continues on Saturday with a second round of each doubles and singles, beginning at 9 a.m. CT/8 a.m. MT.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Doubles
Cai/Tye def. Boukirat/Hanke (Minnesota); 8-3
Koneva/McCarty (Kansas) def. Daugherty/Nguyen: 8-3
Kellner/San Martin (Iowa State) def. Hansen/Jaiani: 8-3
Raidt/Spencer (Nebraska) def. Jurkowska/Mavor: 8-5
Singles
Anna Putilina (Kansas) def. Yunfei Cai: 6-3 3-6 6-4
Caroline Daugherty def. Ksenia Hanke (Minnesota): 6-2 4-6 6-3
Nora Knezevic (Minnesota) def. Ruby Hansen: 6-4 6-3
Valeska San Martin (Iowa State) def. Natali Jaiani: 6-2 6-2
Paulina Jurkowska def. Caroline Manzi (Kansas): 6-3 6-4
Sofia Mavor def. Neda Rahimkhani (Nebraska): 6-4 6-3
Remy Nguyen def. Simryn Jacob (Kansas): 6-2 6-1
Millie Skelton (Missouri) def. Frankie Tye: 6-1 6-2
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SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
To be announced
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Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Tennis on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_WTennis on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_WTennis on Instagram
Follow @DenverPioneers and @DU_WTennis on Threads
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
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/ Women's Tennis
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