Women's Tennis Defeats Valparaiso 4-3 for Senior Day Triumph

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sweeping doubles and winning three singles matches in the middle of the lineup, the Belmont University women's tennis team secured a spot in the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championship with a 4-3 senior day victory over Valparaiso Sunday at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. The Bruins (3-16, 2-4 MVC) halted a four-match slide with the gritty win as freshman Ketevan Jeladze clinched the match in three sets at No. 4 singles.
 
In Belmont's final home match of the season, the Bruins put together perhaps their best doubles performance. Conceding no more than two games in any of the three doubles sets, Belmont got 6-2 wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots and a 6-1 triumph at the No. 2 position courtesy of graduate Cielo Tapia-Cruz and junior Hana Sokolovic.
 
In singles action, both Tapia-Cruz and sophomore Jessica Popiol were straight-set winners. Tapia-Cruz took out the Beacons' Alexandra Popa 6-2, 6-2 on court two, and Popiol defeated Valparaiso's Lacey Tanner 8-6 in an opening set tiebreaker before cruising in the second set, 6-0, on court three.
 
The Beacons (10-8, 0-5 MVC) would even the match at 3-3 before Jeladze's clinching victory on court four.
 
Valparaiso's Moira Silva defeated redshirt freshman Savannah Webster 6-3, 6-2 at the top of the lineup and the Beacons' Andrea Delgado bested junior Emma Grant 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5 singles. At the sixth spot, Valparaiso's Jolene Fernandes outlasted senior Libbie Hamilton in a 6-2 third set.
 
Taking on the Beacons' Brynn Steven, Jeladze overcame a 7-5 first set loss with consecutive 6-3 wins to give the Bruins their second MVC triumph of the year.
 
Following the match, both Hamilton (2022-26) and Tapia-Cruz (2025-26) were honored for senior day.
 
Up Next
Belmont wraps up the regular season next weekend, traveling to Murray State Saturday. First serve from the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts in Murray, Kentucky, is scheduled for 11 a.m. The MVC Championship will be held Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 at the University of Illinois Chicago.
 
How to Follow
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