USAFA, Colo. (Sept. 25, 2026) – It was a strong start for the Wyoming Cowgirls Friday down at the Bedford Cup hosted by Air Force. Wyoming advanced a trio of Cowgirls to the semifinals in their respective flights. Overall, UW won 10 singles matches to open the tournament.

In Flight Alpha, Anastasiia Kochelaevskaia continued her strong start to the fall, picking up a pair of straight-set victories on her way to Saturday's semis. Kochelaevskaia opened with a 6-3 and 6-3 victory over Terezia Mlkva of Utah State before closing Friday with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Air Force's Maya Michalski. Kochelaevskaia will face Jennifer Jackson of Texas Tech in Saturday's semifinal.

In Delta Flight, Eugenia Ceinos and Dilnaz Mashabayeva both went 2-0 to advance to the semifinals. Ceinos won a hard-fought battle against New Mexico's Coumba Ben Niangandou, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-2. She then closed with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Victoria Cajigas of Idaho. Mashabayeva, meanwhile, blanked Idaho State's Victoria Grymalkska, 6-0, 6-0 and then defeated Appalachian State's Alexi Cleveland in a thriller, 7-6 (7-4), 3-6 and 7-6 (7-2).

Silver Bijlsma, Madlena Orlova, Antonella Taco and Zlata Nesterova picked up consolation bracket wins Friday. Bijlsma won 6-2 and 6-2 in Alpha Flight. In Bravo, Orlova and Taco both won as Orlova took a 6-3, 3-6 and 1-0 (10-7) win while Taco won 7-6 (7-4) and 6-3. Nesterova's 6-3, 6-2 win came in the Charlie Flight.

The Cowgirls also grabbed a doubles win Friday as the team of Mashabayeva and Ivona Ridan won 6-2 over a tandem from Texas Tech.

Day two at the Bedford Cup begins at 9 a.m., Saturday.

-WYO-