MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's women's tennis team was unable to maintain the momentum from two opening victories, dropping the doubles point and four of the six singles match in falling to East Tennessee, 5-2, Saturday night at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro.
The Blue Raiders (2-1) lost for the first time this season in the home opener for the club. Coach Alison Ojeda's team returns to action Sunday with a 10 a.m. match versus Wichita State at the Racquet Club.
ETSU won two of the three doubles tilts to take the opening point of the match.
Middle Tennessee's Kelly Adams and Marlene Chemin defeated Sylwia Ziolkowska and Elena Volobueva, 8-5 at No. 1. But ETSU's Masha Ilina and Sandie Knight won 8-3 at No. 2 over Claudia Szabo and Elvira Yusupova, and Tara Byrne and Olya Batsula gave the visitors the doubles point with an 8-6 triumph over Ann-Kristin Siljestrom and Pooja Kommireddi at No. 3.
In singles the Bucs won three of the first four matches to wrap up the team victory.
Ilina defeated Chemin at No. 1, 6-2, 6-3, while Volobueva took care of Yusupova at No. 3, 6-2, 7-5, and Batsula won 6-1, 7-6 (4) over Siljestrom at No. 4.
The Blue Raiders first point came from Szabo at No. 2 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Byrne. Ojeda said Szabo really grew up this week in practice and it should in the match.
"Claudia matured as an athlete. She really played smart and gave herself every opportunity to get better in practice this week," Ojeda said. She set up points and finished points when she was supposed to. It was great to see her play well after such a good week of practice."
Adams defeated Ziolkowska, 8-7 (5) at No. 5, and Knight took care of Kommireddi at No. 6, 8-5.
Ojeda said the Blue Raiders did not play badly, but rather ran into a very good opponent.
"We really competed hard, but [ETSU] came out on fire," Ojeda said. "We battled but it wasn't enough today. It's good for our team though to see a good team and how they played the match."
East Tennessee 5, Middle Tennessee 2
SINGLES
1. Masha Ilina (ETSU) def. Marlene Chemin (MT), 6-2, 6-3
2. Claudia Szabo (MT) def. Tara Byrne (ETSU), 6-1, 6-2
3. Elena Volobueva (ETSU) def. Elvira Yusupova (MT), 6-2, 7-5
4. Olya Batsula (ETSU) def. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom (MT), 6-1, 7-6 (4)
5. Kelly Adams (MT) def. Sylwia Ziolkowska (ETSU), 8-7 (5)
6. Sandie Knight (ETSU) def. Pooja Kommireddi (MT), 8-5
DOUBLES
1. Adams-Chemin (MT) def. Volobueva-Ziolkowska (ETSU), 8-5
2. Ilina-Knight (ETSU) def. Szabo-Yusupova (MT), 8-3
3. Batsula-Byrne (ETSU) def. Kommireddi-Siljestrom (MT), 8-6
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