Redbirds Win MVC Opener at Belmont, 4-3

NASHVILLE – The Illinois State women's tennis team opened Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday, as the Redbirds defeated Belmont by a score of 4-3 in Nashville. ISU has now won eight-straight conference opening matches.

The Redbirds got off to a great start in doubles play, sweeping all three matches to secure the first point of the day. Zoe Limparis and Sofia Rodrigo rolled to a 6-1 win over Belmont's Aly Getty and Hana Sokolovic at the No. 3 spot to start things off, and the No. 1 duo of Lana Caculovic and Tijana Zlatanovic defeated Mariia Hlahola and Anastasi Zholdakova by a final of 7-5 to clinch the doubles point. For good measure, the No. 2 tandem of Nevena Kolarevic and Silvia Pomarolli also picked up a 7-5 victory to make it a clean doubles sweep for the Redbirds. 

Belmont tied up the match at 1-1 as singles action began, thanks to a victory at the No. 6 spot. However, that tie would not last long as Rodrigo defeated Hana Sokolovic by a score of 6-3, 6-3, at the No. 5 spot to give ISU a 2-1 lead. Caculovic then took down Vesa Gjinaj by a final of 7-5, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot to make it 3-1 in favor of ISU, before a three-set comeback win by Pomarolli at the No. 4 spot over Belmont's Viktoria Kliimand 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, would clinch the match for the Redbirds. Belmont would then pick up the final two singles matches to bring the score to its final at 4-3.

Illinois State continues its conference-opening road trip against Murray State on Sunday, with first serve set for Noon CT in Murray, Kentucky.

FINAL SCORE: Illinois State (4), Belmont (3)

Doubles: 
No. 1 Lana Caculovic/Tijana Zlatanovic (ILST) def. Mariia Hlahola/Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) 7-5
No. 2 Nevena Kolarevic/Silvia Pomarolli (ILST) def. Vesa Gjinaj/Viktoria Kliimand (BEL) 7-5
No. 3 Zoe Limparis/Sofia Rodrigo (ILST) def. Aly Getty/Hana Sokolovic (BEL) 6-1

Singles:
No. 1 Mariia Hlahola (BEL) def. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILST) 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 Lana Caculovic (ILST) def. Vesa Gjinaj (BEL) 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) def. Nevena Kolarevic (ILST) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
No. 4 Silvia Pomarolli (ILST) def. Viktoria Kliimand (BEL) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
No. 5 Sofia Rodrigo (ILST) def. Hana Sokolovic (BEL) 6-3, 6-3
No. 6 Aly Getty (BEL) def. Zoe Limparis (ILST) 6-2, 6-3

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