Women's Tennis Wins Third Straight, Upends UIC 4-3 Sunday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Remaining perfect in Missouri Valley Conference play, the Belmont University women's tennis team won its third consecutive match Sunday with a narrow 4-3 victory over the University of Illinois Chicago at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. The Bruins, who improved to 6-10 overall and 3-0 in the Valley with the triumph, took the doubles point and got singles wins at the top two spots before graduate student Meredith Roberts clinched the match on court five.
 
The visiting Flames (9-8, 3-2 MVC) were strong in the middle of the singles lineup and closed the contest with a win at the sixth position.
 
Belmont jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the morning affair with gritty play at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. After Roberts and senior Taylor Trondson earned a 6-3 win at the third doubles flight against UIC's Tamara Malazonia and Zara Ryan, the nationally-ranked Ukrainian duo of freshman Mariia Hlahola and sophomore Anastasiya Zholdakova outlasted the Flames' Natalia Nikolopoulou and Agnes Gustafsson 6-4 at the top spot.
 
Sophomores Abi Solomon and Viktoria Kliimand led UIC's Ana Jover and Cora-Lynn von Dungern 5-4 at second doubles when Hlahola and Zholdakova clinched the doubles point.
 
In singles action, Solomon made quick work of Malazonia on court two with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 win. With the Bruins leading 2-0, the Flames quickly evened the match with victories on courts three and four. Jover got past Kliimand 7-5, 6-2 at the fourth spot and Nikolopoulou topped Zholdakova 7-5, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.
 
Hlahola gave Belmont a 3-2 lead with a come-from-behind triumph at the top flight. Outlasting Gustafsson in three sets, Hlahola recovered from a 6-1 opening set loss with commanding 6-0 and 6-2 second and third sets. Roberts secured the match win at the fifth spot with a straight-set, 6-2, 6-4, victory over von Dungern.
 
UIC's third point came once the match was already decided as the Flames' Paula Rodriguez Gregoris handed Trondson a 6-1, 6-4 setback at the sixth flight.
 
Up Next
The Bruins remain in the Music City next weekend, hosting Northern Iowa Friday and Drake Saturday for senior day. Friday's first serve versus the Panthers is scheduled for 1 p.m., while next Saturday's senior day match against the Bulldogs will get underway at 10 a.m.
 
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