MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won the doubles point and four of the six singles matches on Saturday, defeating Murray State, 5-2, in women's tennis action at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center. The Blue Raiders (6-6) evened their record in the first home outdoor match of the year. Murray State had only five players, defaulting at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.
In doubles, Middle Tennessee picked up victories at all three positions.
Marlene Chemin and Claudia Szabo defeated Casady Pruitt and Anne Pennington, 8-3, at No. 1, and Kelly Adams and Ann-Kristin Siljestrom won 8-2 at No. 2 over Tami McQueen and Adriana Alvarez.
In singles the Blue Raiders won matches at Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 6 to post its third victory in the last four outings.
Szabo defeated Pennington, 6-1, 6-2, at No. 2, and Siljestrom won 6-0, 6-3, at No. 4 over Alvarez. Kommireddi played at No. 5, winning 7-5, 6-4, over McQueen.
Murray State's Anna Lask defeated Chemin, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 1, and Pruitt won 6-4, 6-1, over Elvira Yusupova at No. 3.
"If you ask the girls, they'll say they didn't play well today, but I think we played pretty well," head coach Alison Ojeda said. "We spent so much time teaching them how to compete and work hard in the fall and now they have a better understanding of what it is to work hard everyday and every match, so they expect more of themselves.
"We are breaking down their games and teaching them new things. You have to use those things in matches to improve, but there's a learning curve that takes time. Right now we're setting up points well but making errors when we get those opportunities. The more balls we hit, the more we'll believe in those changes."
Middle Tennessee plays three matches in Mobile, Ala., next weekend, taking on VCU, Indiana State and host South Alabama on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Middle Tennessee 5, Murray State 2
SINGLES
1. Anna Lask (MSU) def. Marlene Chemin (MT), 6-3, 6-1
2. Claudia Szabo (MT) def. Anne Pennington (MSU), 6-1, 6-2
3. Casady Pruitt (MSU) def. Elvira Yusupova (MT), 6-4, 6-1
4. Ann-Kristin Siljestrom (MT) def. Adriana Alvarez (MSU), 6-0, 6-3
5. Pooja Kommireddi (MT) def. Tami McQueen (MSU), 7-5, 6-4
6. Kelly Adams (MT) won by default
DOUBLES
1. Chemin-Szabo (MT) def. Pruitt-Pennington (MSU), 8-3
2. Adams-Siljestm (MT) def. Alvarez-McQueen (MSU), 8-2
3. Kommireddi-Yusupova (MT) won by default
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