Women's Tennis Earns Third-Straight Win at Valparaiso Saturday

VALPARAISO, Ind. – Securing its first Missouri Valley Conference road win of 2024, the Belmont University women's tennis team defeated Valparaiso 5-2 Saturday afternoon indoors at The Courts of Northwest Indiana in Valparaiso, Indiana. Winning their third in a row, the Bruins (10-7, 3-1 MVC) took the top four singles matches after claiming the all-important doubles point.
 
The top doubles tandem of sophomore Mariia Hlahola and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova and the No. 3 doubles duo of freshman Hana Sokolovic and junior Aly Getty were the difference in Belmont taking the first point of the match. Hlahola and Zholdakova dismissed the Beacons' Olivia Czerwonka and Moira Silva 6-3 before Sokolovic and Getty upended Valparaiso's Jolene Fernandes and Elizabeth Sobieski 6-3. At second doubles, junior Viktoria Kliimand and freshman Vesa Gjinaj led the Beacons' Mia Bertino and Lillian Kelly 4-3 when Sokolovic and Getty clinched the doubles point.
 
After Kelly evened the match at a point apiece with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Getty at No. 6 singles, Hlahola put the Bruins back in front at the top singles spot. Hlahola bested Moira 7-5, 6-3 before Kliimand topped Fernandes at No. 4 singles. Kliimand won the opening set 6-1 and shut out Fernandes in a second set tiebreaker.
 
Zholdakova provided Belmont with the needed fourth point for the match triumph at No. 3 singles where she defeated Bertino 6-2, 7-5.
 
Valparaiso (9-10, 0-4 MVC) collected one more singles victory at the fifth spot as Sobieski got past Sokolovic in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
 
Gjinaj closed out the match with a three-set win at No. 2 singles against Czerwonka, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
 
Up Next
The Bruins finish the weekend Sunday morning in Chicago at the University of Illinois Chicago. First serve from XS Tennis Village is set for 10 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.