Nomoto advances to Sunday's championship

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee sophomore Yuiri Nomoto rallied to win a three-set match and advance to the championship of Flight 1 singles at the Steve Baras Fall Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Blue Raider women's tennis team is competing in the three-day event at the Champions Courts.

Nomoto dropped the first set before coming back to win the next two in defeating Jenna Nurik 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 of host Chattanooga in a battle between the No. 2 and 3 seeds in the flight. Nomoto will face top seed Vera Shkundina at 10 a.m. Sunday in the championship contest.

Junior Alex Dachos also participated in singles action Saturday, dropping a Flight 3 semifinal match to No. 2 seed Agatha Palider of Kennesaw State 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

Junior Marietta Bigus, paired with Chattanooga's Charlotte Bossy in a mixed doubles tandem, advanced to the finals of Flight 2 doubles with an 8-3 triumph against UAB's Caroline Faught and Menanteau Moolman. The mixed duo will face the Lady Mocs' Nurik and Shaina Singh at 8:30 a.m. Sunday for the bracket title.

In Flight 2 consolation action, Bigus picked up a pair of wins to advance to the championship at 10 a.m. Sunday against UAB's Caroline Faught. Bigus started the day with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Kennesaw State's Morgan Carney before handing Lipscomb's Danielle Hanson a 6-2, 6-1 setback.

Also in consolation play, the Blue Raider duo of Dachos and Nomoto moved on to Sunday's final of Flight 1 doubles with an 8-5 triumph against Chattanooga's Alexa Flynn and Emily Hangstefer. The MT pairing will square off against Alyssa Bellini and Kara Jackson of Lipscomb at 8:30 a.m. Sunday in the championship tilt.

The three-day tournament, the third of four this fall for the Middle Tennessee squad, concludes Sunday.

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