NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite splitting the six singles matches, the Belmont University women's tennis team was unable to upend visiting Eastern Kentucky Sunday at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex in the Bruins' non-conference finale. The Colonels (8-12) won the doubles point and held on in singles play for a 4-3 win over host Belmont (1-12).
The match was decided at No. 5 singles where EKU's Izem Elif Olcer prevailed in a three-set battle with senior
Libbie Hamilton, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Following doubles action, the Bruins had a great response at the top three spots in the singles lineup. Redshirt freshman
Savannah Webster on court one, graduate
Cielo Tapia-Cruz on court two and sophomore
Jessica Popiol on court three were all victorious in straight sets.
Both junior
Emma Grant at No. 6 singles and freshman
Ketevan Jeladze at No. 4 singles were defeated in tightly-contested matches by the Colonels' Marilou Cote and Anastasiia Cherniakova, respectively.
The pivotal doubles point was decided at the No. 2 position where EKU's Cherniakova and Ceylin Ipek got past Grant and Tapia-Cruz, 6-4.
Webster and Popiol, Belmont's top doubles tandem, were trailing the Colonels' Masha Fedenko and Sasha Parkhomenko 5-4 when EKU clinched the opening point. The Colonels' Cote and Elif Olcer gave the visitors a leg up in doubles with a 6-1 win against Hamilton and Jeladze at the third spot.
Up Next
The Bruins begin Missouri Valley Conference play next weekend in the Music City, hosting Northern Iowa midday Saturday and welcoming Drake to the Beaman Family Tennis Complex Sunday morning. First serve Saturday versus the Panthers is slated for 12 p.m. Sunday's match against the Bulldogs will start at 10 a.m.
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