Women's Tennis Takes Doubles Point at No. 9 Auburn Sunday

AUBURN, Ala. – In the midst of a grueling stretch of five consecutive road matches, the Belmont University women's tennis team put together one of its finest doubles performances of the young season Sunday at ninth-ranked Auburn. Against one of the nation's best, the Bruins (2-7) won the doubles point before ultimately falling 6-1 to the host Tigers (8-2).
 
Belmont claimed both of the top two doubles matches in 6-4 and 6-3 fashion, respectively, as the Ukrainian duo of freshman Mariia Hlahola and Anastasiya Zholdakova defeated the ninth-ranked doubles team in the nation. Hlahola and Zholdakova topped Auburn's Ariana Arseneault and Carolyn Ansari 6-4 at No. 1 doubles to clinch the doubles point.
 
The Bruins' first doubles win of the morning came at the No. 2 spot where sophomores Abi Solomon and Viktoria Kliimand took out the Tigers' Kaitlyn Carnicella and DJ Bennett, 6-3.
 
Auburn's lone doubles win was at the third position where Ali DeSpain and Anastasia Astakhova bested senior Taylor Trondson and freshman Libbie Hamilton, 6-1.
 
In singles action, Belmont was unable to win a set against the talented Tigers. Hlahola and Solomon had the most competitive matches at the top two spots. Ranked 67th nationally, Arseneault escaped Hlahola at No. 1 singles with an opening set tiebreaker (7-2) and a 7-5 second set. Ansari, who is ranked 103rd, got past Solomon at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 7-5.
 
Sophomore Aly Getty took part in an extra No. 7 singles match and won seven games against DeSpain in a 6-4, 6-3 loss.
 
Up Next
The Bruins close out their strenuous five-match road stretch next Sunday at Indiana University. First serve from the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, Indiana, is slated for 10 a.m.
 
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