Women's Tennis Challenges Indiana on the Road Sunday

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Despite winning the doubles point, the Belmont University women's tennis team was unable to upend Big Ten Conference member Indiana Sunday in a 5-2 road setback at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington, Indiana. Wrapping up a grueling five-match road stretch, the Bruins (2-8) also earned a singles win at the third flight courtesy of sophomore Anastasiya Zholdakova.
 
After visiting Belmont took a 1-0 lead in the match following doubles action, the host Hoosiers (8-3) won five of the six singles contests in straight sets.
 
The sophomore duo of Abi Solomon and Viktoria Kliimand made quick work of Indiana's Alexandra Staiculescu and Mila Mejic 6-1 at No. 2 doubles. However, the Hoosiers' Lara Schneider and Saby Nihalani evened doubles play with a 6-1 win over the 42nd-ranked doubles tandem of freshman Mariia Hlahola and Zholdakova at the top spot. Senior Taylor Trondson and freshman Libbie Hamilton clinched the doubles point for the Bruins with a 6-4 victory at No. 3 doubles against Indiana's Nicole Teodosescu and Lauren Lemonds.
 
Belmont's lone bright spot in singles, Zholdakova defeated Staiculescu in three sets at the third position. After Zholdakova took the opening set 6-2, Staiculescu responded with a 7-5 set two win. In the decisive third set super tiebreak, Zholdakova came out on top with a 10-8 result.
 
At No. 1 singles, Hlahola nearly took the second set against Schneider after dropping set one, 6-1. Although Hlahola forced a second set tiebreaker, Schneider prevailed 7-2 in the extra points.
 
Freshman Aly Getty took seven games from Lemonds at No. 6 singles in a 7-5, 6-2 loss. Both Solomon at No. 2 singles and Kliimand at No. 4 singles won five games in 6-4, 6-1 matches against Nihalani and Mejic, respectively.
 
Up Next
The Bruins return to the Music City next weekend where they will host Wofford Friday. First serve from the Ensworth Tennis Center in Nashville is slated for 5 p.m.
 
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