Women's Tennis Performs Well on Friday

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee started the UTC Steve Baras Fall Classic off strong on Friday posting 13 wins.

The Blue Raiders had seven wins in singles play and six in doubles to begin the tournament.

Elvira Yusupova defeated Samford's Katie Weaver 6-1, 7-5 in the round of 16 in A singles.

To begin A singles, junior Marlene Chemin won her match with Seden Sovalp of UAB 6-3, 6-4. In the round of 16, Chemin fell to Eastern Kentucky's Svetlana Pimenova 6-2, 6-4.

Also in A singles, No 1 seed Stephanie Parkison defeated Kelli Miller of Lee 6-4, 6-1.

To begin the B singles, redshirt freshman Shannon Hartmann fell to Kennesaw State's Mercedes Cobos 7-6, 6-0.

Senior Ann-Kristin Siljestrom, who is the No. 1 seed in B singles, defeated Jacksonville State's Eloah Lopes 6-1, 6-0, after receiving a bye to the second round.

Senior Claudia Szabo, seeded third in B singles, received a bye to the round of 16 where she defeated Mallory Waites of North Alabama 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

In C singles, junior Pooja Kommireddi defeated Jenna Wright of Kennesaw State's 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. Freshman Andrea Herrera won her match with Belmont's Abby Leatherwood 6-2, 6-2.

In doubles, Siljestrom and Chemin, the No. 1 seed in A doubles defeated Ferris and Lombardo of Jacksonville State 8-1. In the quarterfinals, the duo won again taking the match 8-4 over Kennesaw State's Tanaka and Palider.

Also in A doubles, Szabo and Hartmann, the No. 3 seed, won their match over Lipscomb's Jackson and Jann 8-3. Then the pair defeated Cobos and Takara of Kennesaw State's 8-3 in the quarterfinals.

In the B flight of doubles, Parkison and Yusupova defeated Karen Bellman of Mercer and Kate Ksiezopolski of UTC 8-3. Then in the second round, the two won 8-1 over Lee's Kresge and Sherlin.

Herrera and Kommireddi fell to Eastern Kentucky's Euers and Heimeroth 8-2 in the second round of B doubles.

Singles play at the UTC Steve Baras Collegiate Fall Classic will begin at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday morning. Doubles matches will begin at - p.m.

Results from the UTC Steve Baras Collegiate Fall Classic will be available on www.goblueraiders.

Follow the Blue Raiders on Twitter @MTAthletics for continued updates.