Blue Raiders topple Skyhawks, 6-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee dominated momentum early to pick up a 6-1 victory over UT Martin at Nashboro Village on Saturday. 

The Blue Raiders (5-5) have won four out of the last five matches this season and improve to 25-1 all-time against the Skyhawks (0-5).

Middle Tennessee snatched all three doubles matches and secured their first point. Nayara Moraes and Irina Constantinide picked up their first sweep this season, knocking off UTM's Johanie Van Zyl and Katie McCall, 8-0, at the No. 2 position. The Blue Raiders clinched the doubles point when Yuiri Nomoto and Carla Nava won 8-1 over Ivon Simic and Anna Marie Herbold.

The third doubles contest was much tighter. The Blue Raiders earned the hard earned sweep, 8-6, as Flavia Nagayama and Alexandra Torres defeated Anna Winklemann and Jessica Silva.

Constantinide collected the Raiders first singles victory when she knocked off Herbold, 6-0, 6-4 at the second spot. The redshirt sophomore Moraes earned a straight set win over Van Zyl (6-1, 6-1).

Nagayama won over Winkelman, 7-5, 6-0 to pick up the match point for the Blue Raiders. Nagayama improved to 8-2 overall and has won six in a row.

The Skyhawks bounced back when the top singles player Simic won 7-5, 6-4 over Nomoto.

In No. 5 singles, Nava picked up a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jessica Silva for the Raiders' fifth point. The freshman Torres went to a third set with McCall. Torres won the first set 6-1 before dropping the second set, 6-4. She finished off the match with a tiebreaking win of 10-6 in the third set.

"This was a good match for us after having a few days off," said head coach Shelley Godwin. "The team put in a good week of practice and came out focused to take care of business."

The Blue Raiders return to play next Saturday, March 9 versus Louisiana in a neutral site match at Hattiesburg, Miss. First serve is set for Noon.

Middle Tennessee 6, UT Martin 1

Singles competition

1. SIMIC, Ivon (UTM) def. Nomoto, Yuiri (MT) 7-5, 6-4
2. Constantinide, Irina (MT) def. HERBOLD, Anna Marie (UTM) 6-0, 6-4
3. Nagayama, Flavia (MT) def. WINKELMANN, Anna (UTM) 7-5, 6-0
4. Moraes, Nayara (MT) def. VAN ZYL, Johanie (UTM) 6-1, 6-1
5. Nava, Carla (MT) def. SILVA, Jessica (UTM) 6-4, 6-2
6. Torres, Alexandra (MT) def. McCALL, Katie (UTM) 6-1, 4-6, 10-6

Doubles competition

1. Nomoto, Yuiri/Nava, Carla (MT) def. SIMIC, Ivon/HERBOLD, Anna Marie (UTM) 8-1
2. Moraes, Nayara/Constantinide, Irina (MT) def. VAN ZYL, Johanie/McCALL, Katie (UTM) 8-0
3. Nagayama, Flavia/Torres, Alexandra (MT) def. WINKELMANN, Anna/SILVA, Jessica (UTM) 8-6

Match Notes:UT Martin 0-5
Middle Tennessee 5-5
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (4,2,3,1,5,6)
T-4:10

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