Women's Tennis Hosts Troy and Rival Lipscomb this Weekend

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Finishing out a three-match homestand this weekend, the Belmont University women's tennis team welcomes Troy and nearby rival Lipscomb. Winners of two of their last three matches, the Bruins (5-3) take on the Trojans Saturday afternoon indoors at the Ensworth Tennis Center before playing on campus at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex for the first time this season Sunday afternoon against the Bisons.
 
First serve Saturday versus Troy is scheduled for 2 p.m. while Sunday's Battle of the Boulevard match is slated for 1 p.m.
 
Belmont defeated West Coast Conference member Gonzaga 4-3 last Saturday at the Ensworth Tennis Center. A perfect 2-0 at home this year, the Bruins began their 2024 campaign with a 4-3 win over visiting the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
 
In each of its last four matches, Belmont has captured the all-important doubles point. The junior tandem of Viktoria Kliimand and Abi Solomon are an impressive 6-1 at No. 2 doubles this season, while sophomore Mariia Hlahola and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova are 6-2 at the top doubles spot.
 
Freshman Vesa Gjinaj (5-1) at No. 2 and Hlahola (7-1) at No. 1 have combined to go 12-2 in singles play.
 
Saturday will be the first dual match between the Bruins and Trojans since at least 2002.
 
Belmont is seeking its first win over Lipscomb since 2012. Last March, the Bisons defeated the Bruins 4-0 at the opposite end of Belmont Boulevard. In February of 2022, Belmont was edged 4-3 against Lipscomb indoors at the Hadley Tennis Center.
 
Troy (5-1) is coming off a 5-2 win at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga last Friday and the Trojans' lone loss this season came 5-2 at North Alabama on Feb. 15.
 
The Bisons (6-2) enter the weekend ranked 72nd in the nation according to the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings. However, Lipscomb has lost its last two matches after beginning the season 6-0. Last Saturday, the Bisons were defeated 4-2 at East Tennessee State University before suffering a 4-3 loss to the Bulldogs of Gonzaga last Sunday.
 
Up Next
The Bruins head to Western Kentucky next Saturday, March 2. First serve from the Michael O. Buchanon Indoor Tennis Facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is set for 1 p.m.
 
Follow Belmont women's tennis on social media – @BelmontWTennis on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontwtennis on Instagram and Belmont Women's Tennis on Facebook – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.