Blue Raider women’s tennis campaign ends in tournament semifinals

DENTON, Texas – The best season as a member of the Sun Belt Conference came to an end for the Middle Tennessee women’s tennis team Saturday, as the Blue Raiders fell in the league tournament semifinals to FIU, 4-2, at the Waranch Tennis Complex in Denton, Texas.

Middle Tennessee (15-7) secured two singles victories and one doubles win in the contest, pitting it as the No. 3 seed against the No. 2 seeded Panthers.

All three doubles matches ended with identical 8-4 scores; however, the Blue Raiders were only able to pull out one triumph among the trio. MT’s No. 2 tandem of senior Marietta Bigus and junior Yuiri Nomoto knocked off Gulietta Boha and Karyn Guttormsen to open the day. However, FIU (7-14) rallied to win the next two and clinch the first point.

Middle Tennessee then knotted the score at 1-1 behind a No. 4 singles triumph from freshman Nayara Moraes, who tallied a 6-2, 6-4 decision over Guttormsen. Again, the Panthers would come back by claiming two-straight victories to inch ahead, 3-1.

Junior Lexi Brand kept the Blue Raiders alive with her win in the No. 2 meeting with Sarah McLean, handing her opponent a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 setback. FIU would seal the win by clinching the next match in three sets, leaving a No. 1 singles battle tied in the final set when the match was called.

Saturday’s contest marked the end of the collegiate careers for Middle Tennessee seniors Bigus, Taylor Coffey and Alex Dachos and the conclusion of the first campaign under the direction of head coach Shelley Godwin.

FIU 4, Middle Tennessee 2

Singles
No. 1 Yuiri Nomoto (MT) vs. Rita Maisak (FIU) 5-7, 6-4, 4-4 DNF
No. 2 Lexi Brand (MT) def. Sarah McLean (FIU) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Lisa Johnson (FIU) def. Flavia Nagayama (MT) 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 Nayara Moraes (MT) def. Karyn Guttormsen (FIU) 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 Christine Seredni (FIU) def. Marietta Bigus (MT) 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 Gulietta Boha (FIU) def. Taylor Coffey (MT) 6-7, 6-3, 6-3

Doubles
No. 1 Maisak/McLean (FIU) def. Brand/Moraes (MT) 8-4
No. 2 Bigus/Nomoto (MT) def. Boha/Guttormsen (FIU) 8-4
No. 3 Johnson/Seredni (FIU) def. Alex Dachos/Nagayama (MT) 8-4

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