Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raiders sign transfers Victoria Matasova and Zhanel Rustemova
5/19/2026 11:15:00 AM | Women's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee women's tennis head coach Tayo Bailey-Duvall announced Tuesday the addition of two transfers for the 2026-27 season — Victoria Matasova from Old Dominion University and Zhanel Rustemova from Kansas State University.
Rustemova, a native of Astana, Kazakhstan, showcased her versatility during the 2025-26 season at Kansas State. At the Jayhawk Invitational, she posted a 2-0 singles record while splitting doubles matches alongside Sasha Kyselova. The duo earned a 7-6 (7-4) tiebreak victory over Iowa State's Kellner and Camblor and later added a 6-3 win against Camblor and Shulzhenko at No. 2 doubles.
In singles play, Rustemova recorded a 6-4, 7-5 win over Kellner and followed with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory over Alicia Dale at No. 5 singles.
Matasova, from Malye Kabany, Russia, made an immediate impact at Old Dominion after redshirting during the 2023-24 campaign. She earned the Women's Tennis Elite Award and was named First Team All-Conference in doubles competition.
Known for her strategic style of play, Matasova compiled a 13-19 singles record on court two and a 14-13 doubles mark alongside Kira Matushkina on court one. During the spring season, she finished 5-14 in singles and 8-9 in doubles play while ending the year ranked among the ITA Top 115.
"I am excited about the addition of Zhanel and Victoria to our Blue Raider family this fall," said Bailey-Duvall. "They will bring the depth and experience we need to return our program to being one of the top teams in the conference. I am looking forward to working with both of them."
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