NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite winning a pair of singles matches, the Belmont University women's tennis team dropped a 5-2 decision to visiting Southeast Missouri State University Friday evening at the Ensworth Tennis Center in Nashville. The Bruins (0-5) got singles wins from redshirt freshman
Savannah Webster and graduate
Cielo Tapia-Cruz but couldn't recover after conceding the doubles point.
The Redhawks (5-6) secured 6-3 wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, while Belmont's top tandem of Webster and sophomore
Jessica Popiol topped Southeast Missouri's Maja Bajorek and Mia Mayerova 6-3.
In singles play, Tapia-Cruz gave up only four games against the Redhawks' Kristina Kozakova at the fourth spot with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph. At the top singles position, Webster also won convincingly in straight sets with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Southeast Missouri's Bajorek.
With the match deadlocked at 2-2, the Redhawks claimed straight-set wins on courts five and six. Southeast Missouri's Mayerova prevailed 6-1, 7-6 (4) against freshman
Ketevan Jeladze at No. 5 singles and the Redhawks' Yontha Tadoum bested senior
Libbie Hamilton, 7-5, 6-1, at No. 6 singles.
Wrapping up the evening, Popiol took a 6-2 opening set from Southeast Missouri's Sofia Zemtsova, but was unable to close things out in a 7-2 second-set tiebreaker. Zemtsova then won the deciding third set, 6-1.
Up Next
The Bruins are back in action midday Saturday at the Ensworth Tennis Center. Belmont hosts Atlantic Sun Conference member North Alabama at 12:30 p.m. Next Friday, the Bruins visit crosstown foe Tennessee State at the Hadley Park Tennis Center.
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