Coffey shines for Blue Raider women's tennis

DENVER - Sophomore Taylor Coffey earned Middle Tennessee's lone point Saturday, as the Blue Raiders dropped a 6-1 women's tennis decision on the road at Denver. The match was the last true road match of the season for Middle Tennessee.

Coffey collected her team-leading ninth singles win of the campaign with a 6-0, 6-2 defeat of the Pioneers' Mikele Smith at the No. 6 position.

The Cartersville, Ga., native began the day by also posting a doubles triumph, pairing with senior Anna Djananova for an 8-2 win at the No. 3 spot. The tandem knocked off Smith and Lorinda Boothman.

Denver (8-13) features nationally-ranked players at the top doubles and singles positions. Middle Tennessee (8-7) battled hard in doubles action at the No. 1 slot, where Carla Nava and Yuiri Nomoto eventually fell to No. 60-ranked Sophia Bergner and Ute Schnoy.

Schnoy also holds the national spot in singles action, listed at No. 88 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings. Nava forced her into three sets, the only three-set decision of the afternoon, before being handed a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 loss.

The Blue Raiders will return to action with a trio of home matches next weekend, beginning at Noon Friday against North Texas. Middle Tennessee will also welcome Troy and Western Kentucky to town over the three-day stretch, capped by Senior Day at 3 p.m. Sunday against the Lady Toppers.

Denver 6, Middle Tennessee 1

Singles
No. 1 #88 Ute Schnoy (DEN) def. Carla Nava (MT) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
No. 2 Julia Bauregger (DEN) def. Natalie Araya (MT) 6-3, 6-0
No. 3 Sophia Bergner (DEN) def. Anna Djananova (MT) 7-6 (4), 6-0
No. 4 Lorinda Boothman (DEN) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MT) 6-3, 6-1
No. 5 Emma Isberg (DEN) def. Marietta Bigus (MT) 7-6 (5), 6-0
No. 6 Taylor Coffey (MT) def. Mikele Smith (DEN) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 #60 Bergner/Schnoy (DEN) def. Nava/Nomoto (MT) 8-3
No. 2 Bauregger/Isberg (DEN) def. Araya/Alex Dachos (MT) 8-3
No. 3 Coffey/Djananova (MT) def. Boothman/Smith (DEN) 8-2

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