Women's Tennis Defeats Troy 5-2 Saturday Afternoon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Indoors at the Ensworth Tennis Center in the Music City Saturday afternoon, the Belmont University women's tennis team topped Troy University 5-2 to remain unbeaten at home in 2024. The Bruins (6-3) captured the pivotal doubles point for the fifth-straight match before earning wins at the top four singles spots.
 
Belmont has won three of its last four matches.
 
The tandem of sophomore Mariia Hlahola and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova were victorious at the No. 1 doubles position with a 6-3 win over the Trojans' Kristina Kukaras and Maria Guirguis. Their win preceded freshman Vesa Gjinaj and junior Viktoria Kliimand's thrilling triumph at No. 2 doubles. Securing the doubles point, the pair outlasted Troy's Hagar Ramadan-Amin and Emilia Namyslo 7-5.
 
The Trojans (5-2) attempted to get back into the match with straight-set wins at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, but the Bruins were simply too strong at the top of the lineup.
 
Both Hlahola and Gjinaj earned convincing straight-set singles wins at the top two spots with Hlahola downing Troy's Kukaras 6-3, 6-2 at No. 1 and Gjinaj besting the Trojans' Valeriia Avdeeva 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2.
 
Zholdakova prevailed in a three-set affair at No. 3 singles as did Kliimand at No. 4 singles. Winning the opening set 6-1 against Ramadan-Amin, Zholdakova rebounded from a 6-3 set two loss with a 6-2 triumph in the deciding third set. Kliimand won the first set 6-2 against Guirguis before taking the decisive third set 6-1 after dropping set two, 6-4.
 
Up Next
Belmont closes out its three-match homestand Sunday afternoon outdoors on campus at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex where the Bruins host nearby rival Lipscomb. The Bisons visit ranked 72nd in the nation. First serve is slated for 1 p.m.
 
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