Blue Raiders Finish Strong at ITA Regionals

Wednesday, October 20

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Middle Tennessee

ITA Regional Championships

Photo by: @MTAthletics

10/25/2021 9:25:00 AM | Women's Tennis

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Blue Raiders women's tennis hosted and competed in the ITA Division-I Women's Ohio Valley Regional Championship at the Adams Tennis Center this past week. Six of MT's student-athletes played singles and doubles.

The tandem of Muskan Gupta and Lilly-Sophie Schmidt advanced to the Doubles Main Draw Round of 32 by defeating, Ball State's duo of Braun/Lukacs, 8-5. Gupta and Schmidt battled in the Round of 32 eventually falling to Cruz/Kourkina of Vandy, 8-7(4).

In singles, Gupta was the only Blue Raiders to get out of the Main Draw Round of 128 dropping Indiana's Sayda Hernandez in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. In the Round of 64 MT's Gupta squared off with Carla Girbau of Kentucky and fell, 6-0, 6-1.

In Saturday's consolation bracket, Middle Tennessee picked up five wins consecutively in singles and doubles. Noelle Mauro got things going with her victory over Indiana's Kubas splitting the first two sets and then prevailing, 11-9. Lee and Zani Barnard both captured straight set victories over their opponents, respectively. Schmidt bounced back after a couple of heartbreakers dropping Miami Ohio's Dev, 7-6, 6-1. The duo of Lee Barnard and Mauro made quick work of Lipscomb's Bardy and Howard, 8-4.

On Sunday, the blue and white finished strong picking up another doubles win. Lee Barnard and Mauro notched their second victory of the tournament together.

QUOTING HEAD COACH TAYO BAILEY-DUVALL
"Overall, I think it could've been better. For half of our team this was their first meet for the fall so I could see why we started out slow. By the end of the weekend, we started collecting a few wins and that was good to see. In doubles, we actually had Gupta and Schmidt play together for the first time this season and they looked strong in a quality win over Ball State. In the Round of 32, they competed really well against Vanderbilt and had opportunities to win breaks but just couldn't convert. All in all, the weekend was a good start for the girls to analyze their game and mental toughness since that is something we have been working on. The mental toughness is going to be the key to our success in the spring."

RESULTS
ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships | Adams Tennis Center | Murfreesboro, TN

Singles Qualifying
Honoka Nakanishi (APU) def. Lilly-Sophie Schmidt (MT): 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3

Singles Main Draw Round of 128
Laura Schneider (IND) def. Noelle Mauro (MT): 6-1, 6-3
Fernanda Carvajal (ETSU) def. Love-Star Alexis (MT): 6-3, 6-2
Maialen Morante (UK) def. Zani Barnard (MT): 6-4, 6-3
Emma Miceli (Cincy) def. Lee Barnard (MT): 6-1, 6-0
Muskan Gupta (MT) def. Sayda Hernandez (IND): 6-2, 6-4
Fiona Arrese (UK) def. Lilly-Sophie Schmidt (MT): 6-2, 6-1

Singles Main Draw Round of 64
Carla Girbau (UK) def. Muskan Gupta (MT): 6-0, 6-1

Doubles Main Draw Round of 64
Rompf/Stevens (Vandy) def. L. Barnard/Mauro (MT): 8-4
Gupta/Schmidt (MT) def. Braun/Lukacs (BSU): 8-5
Carelli/Lee (BU) def. Alexis/Z. Barnard (MT): 8-7(3)

Doubles Main Draw Round of 32
Cruz/Kourkina (Vandy) def. Gupta/Schmidt (MT): 8-7(4)

Singles Consolation Matches
Novah Balthazor (BU) def. Noelle Mauro (MT): 6-3, 6-3
Jana Leder (APU) def. Zani Barnard (MT): 4-6, 6-4, 10-7
Danielle Morris (APU) def. Lee Barnard (MT): 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
Juana Larranaga (PUR) def. Lilly-Sophie Schmidt (MT): 7-5, 2-6, 10-8
Laura Masic (IND) def. Muskan Gupta (MT): 6-1, 6-0
Noelle Mauro (MT) def. Lexi Kubas (IND): 7-6(4), 3-6, 11-9
Lilly-Sophie Schmidt (MT) def. Sarah Dev (MOH): 7-6(4), 6-1
Lee Barnard (MT) def. Emma Beavin (BU): 7-5, 7-5
Zani Barnard (MT) def. Nicole Abel (UTC): 6-2, 6-0

Doubles Main Draw Consolation Matches
L. Barnard/Mauro (MT) def. Bardy/Howard (LU): 8-4
Adeshina/Kuczer (UT) def. Gupta/Schmidt (MT): 8-4
L. Barnard/Mauro (MT) def. Ondo/Steif (UTM): 8-5

UP NEXT
Middle Tennessee will turn its attention to the Louisville Tennis Classic at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center on Friday, Oct. 29.

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