Women's Tennis Downs Missouri State, 5-2, Saturday in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Strong singles play at the top of the Bruins' lineup propelled the Belmont University women's tennis team to its second-straight Missouri Valley Conference home win Saturday morning at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex in the Music City. The Bruins (9-7, 2-1 MVC) defeated Missouri State 5-2 after capturing the all-important doubles point and taking the top four singles matches.
 
Belmont's top two doubles duos of sophomore Mariia Hlahola and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova and freshman Vesa Gjinaj and junior Viktoria Kliimand provided the double point with 6-3 and 6-4 wins, respectively. Hlahola and Zholdakova took out the Bears' Cristina Flaguer and Nicole Ross at the No. 1 spot, while Gjinaj and Kliimand handled Missouri State's Sandra Lukacova and Mary Houston 6-4 at second doubles.
 
The visiting Bears (10-7, 1-2 MVC) did get one doubles match, taking court three where Tuana Gunal and Juliette Robinson got past freshman Hana Sokolovic and junior Aly Getty, 7-5.
 
Both Hlahola, the reigning MVC Singles Player of the Week, and Zholdakova earned dominant straight-set victories at No. 1 and No. 3 singles. Zholdakova gave up only four games in a 6-3, 6-1 win over Gunal at the third position and Hlahola was a 6-3, 6-2 victor against Flaguer at the top spot.
 
Gjinaj and Kliimand were met with a little more resistance at No. 2 and No. 4 singles. On court two, Gjinaj defeated Missouri State's Houston 6-3, 6-4 as Kliimand pulled out a 7-5 opening set tiebreaker versus Robinson at No. 4 singles before winning the second set 6-4.
 
The Bears' two points came at the fifth and sixth singles spots with Ross and Lukacova earning straight-set wins.
 
Up Next
The Bruins make their first MVC road trip of the season next weekend. Belmont heads to Valparaiso for a 2 p.m. match next Saturday, before facing the University of Illinois Chicago in the Windy City next Sunday, April 7.
 
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