MT cruises to a pair of home wins

Friday, February 9

Murfreesboro, Tenn. - Adams Tennis Complex

10 AM

Middle Tennessee

UT-Martin

2/9/2018 5:32:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Raiders sweep UT-Martin, take down Samford

By: @MTAthletics

MT vs. UT-Martin results
MT vs. Samford results
Season Statistics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – In a pair of home matches on Friday, Middle Tennessee's women's tennis team swept UT-Martin followed by a win over Samford, 4-3, to move the record to 7-3 on the year.

Maria Josefina Zehnder and Costanza Magazzini helped the Blue Raiders get a good start out of the gate with a 6-0 win at No. 2 doubles. Kim Kermet and Zee Barnard clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 win at the top spot. Marta Peris Herrero and Luisa Zirilli had match point at No. 3 but were unable to finish with a score of 5-3.

In singles action, the depth of the MT singles lineup showed its strength, as the bottom four spots in the lineup only gave up a combined eight games to UT-Martin. Zirilli took a 6-1, 6-1 win on court six to start the singles scoring, followed by Kermet at No. 3, who didn't give up a game to her opponent.

Lidia Burrows clinched MT's sixth win of the season with a 6-2, 6-2 score on court four, and Herrero finished her match minutes later, 6-2, 6-0. Zehnder and Magazzini earned wins in third sets to complete the 7-0 sweep of UT-Martin.

In the second match of the doubleheader, MT again took a 1-0 lead heading into singles play. Lee Barnard paired with Zani Barnard at the No. 2 spot to earn a 6-3 win, and Magazzini paired with Herrero for a 6-4 win at No. 3.

"When we got pushed this afternoon, we pushed back," MT head coach Charlie Ramsay said. "We played with a little more spirit this afternoon, but it took them punching us in the mouth to bring that, and I thought our girls did a good job."

After Samford got on the scoreboard with a straight-set win at the bottom of the order, Zehnder took her match at No. 1, 6-4, 6-2. Samford again tied the match up, but Herrero earned a win in straight sets at No. 5 to put MT on top. Kermet clinched the second Blue Raider win of the day with a 6-4, 6-3 score on court two.

"It helps our singles lineup anytime someone can come in and handle adversity. Josie did a good job with that today," Ramsay added.

Next on the schedule for the Blue Raiders is a road match at Florida Gulf Coast on Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. before returning to the Adams Tennis Complex on Feb. 23 against Chattanooga.