Women's Tennis Takes on WKU on the Road Saturday

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a three-match homestand, the Belmont University women's tennis team returns to road action Saturday afternoon at Western Kentucky University. First serve outdoors at the WKU Tennis Complex in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
Winners of two of their last three, the Bruins (6-4) are looking to bounce back from a 6-1 loss to nationally-ranked nearby rival Lipscomb last Sunday afternoon at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. Belmont defeated Gonzaga 4-3 to begin its recent three-match homestand before topping Troy 5-2 last Saturday at the Ensworth Tennis Center.
 
The Ukrainian doubles tandem of Sophomore Mariia Hlahola and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova, who are 8-2 on the season at the top spot, picked up their second Missouri Valley Conference Doubles Team of the Week award of the year Wednesday afternoon. The weekly conference accolade was the duo's third career MVC Doubles Team of the Week honor.
 
Hlahola is also 8-2 on the season at the top singles spot, while freshman Vesa Gjinaj is 6-2 at No. 2 singles.
 
Early last February, the Bruins suffered a 5-2 setback against the Lady Toppers in the Music City. Belmont won the top two singles matches in straight sets but wasn't able to claim the all-important doubles point. Western Kentucky conceded only one point to the Bruins in Belmont's last visit to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in early March of 2022.
 
The Bruins are seeking their first win against the Lady Toppers since a 4-0 neutral-site sweep in February of 2020.
 
Western Kentucky (5-5) enters the weekend having won back-to-back matches. Last time out last Sunday afternoon, the Lady Toppers earned a 4-2 win over fellow MVC member the University of Illinois Chicago. Last Saturday evening, Western Kentucky edged Wyoming 4-3. Both matches were at home where the Lady Toppers are 4-1 this year.
 
Western Kentucky's other wins this season include Southern Indiana on the road (6-1) and Southeast Missouri (5-2) and Northern Kentucky (7-0) at home. The Lady Toppers have dropped matches to Murray State (7-0), Austin Peay (6-1), the Bisons (5-2), Western Carolina (4-3) and Eastern Kentucky (4-3).
 
Up Next
Belmont heads to the Sunshine State next week for a Wednesday morning match at Florida Gulf Coast. First serve from the FGCU Tennis Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, is slated for 9 a.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.