Middle Tennessee tops Lady Govs to extend season-best win streak

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee jumped ahead early by winning the doubles point and kept the momentum going strong in singles action, picking up a 6-1 victory over Austin Peay on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at the on-campus Buck Bouldin Tennis Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. It was the Blue Raiders’ fourth-straight triumph this spring, a season long, and 12th consecutive in the series.

“We are playing with a lot of confidence right now and it showed again today,” head coach Shelley Godwin said. “Today was such a perfect day to be out on the courts. If we continue to work hard and execute our practice plans, results like today will happen regularly.”

The doubles sweep was started by senior Alex Dachos and sophomore Flavia Nagayama blanking the Lady Govs’ Jovana Karak and Vanessa Tavarez, 8-0, at the No. 3 slot. The point then fell into the favor of Middle Tennessee (9-4), as junior Lexi Brand and freshman Nayara Moraes handed Alison Carre and Vanja Tomic an 8-3 setback at the top position.

Senior Marietta Bigus and junior Yuiri Nomoto completed the sweep with an 8-4 decision over Andra Cornea and Ornella Di Salvo at the No. 2 spot.

Bigus then opened singles play by tallying a 6-2, 6-1 victory against Tavarez at the No. 5 position. Nagayama then made short work of Carre at the No. 3 slot, handing the Austin Peay (4-10) freshman a 6-1, 6-1 setback.

Dachos clinched the match win by knocking off Karak 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 6 position and Brand extended the advantage to four points with her 6-4, 6-4 triumph against Di Salvo in the No. 2 contest.

The final match reached a tiebreaker in the second set, but Moraes was able to hold off Cornea 6-2, 7-6 to lock up the five singles victories.

The Blue Raiders will conclude their four-match homestand by playing host to Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. Sunday. Prior to the match, Middle Tennessee will hold Senior Day festivities and recognize the on and off the court accomplishments of Bigus, Dachos and Taylor Coffey.

Middle Tennessee 6, Austin Peay 1

Singles
No. 1 Vanja Tomic (APSU) def. Yuiri Nomoto (MT) 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 Lexi Brand (MT) def. Ornella Di Salvo (APSU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 Flavia Nagayama (MT) def. Alison Carre (APSU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 4 Nayara Moraes (MT) def. Andra Cornea (APSU) 6-2, 7-6
No. 5 Marietta Bigus (MT) def. Vanessa Tavarez (APSU) 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 Alex Dachos (MT) def. Jovana Karak (APSU) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1 Brand/Moraes (MT) def. Carre/Tomic (APSU) 8-3
No. 2 Bigus/Nomoto (MT) def. Cornea/Di Salvo (APSU) 8-4
No. 3 Dachos/Nagayama (MT) def. Karak/Tavarez (APSU) 8-0

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