Illinois State’s Redbird Invitational: Belmont Women’s Tennis Shines on Day 1
NORMAL, Ill. – The opening day of the Redbird Invitational at the Gregory Street Tennis Courts showcased an impressive performance by the Belmont University women’s tennis team. Competing against several teams from the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bruins achieved a total of eight victories spanning both singles and doubles play.
Doubles Results
Out of their four doubles matches on Friday, Belmont secured three wins, only dropping one to a conference rival. The winning pairs for the Bruins included:
- Savannah Webster and Jessica Popiol, who triumphed over Northern Iowa’s Yangjiaxin Li and Andjela Raznatovic with a score of 8-4.
- Mia Jones and Cielo Tapia-Cruz clinched victory against Valparaiso’s Lacey Tanner and Brynn Steven, finishing 8-5.
- Ketevan Jeladze teamed with Libbie Hamilton to defeat Murray State’s Bruna Melato and Arden Dethridge 8-2.
The Bruins’ strongholds in doubles set the tone for a successful day on the courts.
Singles Highlights
In the singles matches, Belmont continued its winning streak, earning five victories. Notably, Jessica Popiol and Libbie Hamilton both secured straight-set wins. Their results included:
- Popiol defeated Illinois State’s Silvia Pomarolli with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-2.
- Hamilton bested Charlotte Deletioglu from UIC, winning 6-4, 6-3.
Mia Jones and Ketevan Jeladze faced initial setbacks but exhibited resilience, coming from behind to win their respective matches:
- Jones triumphed over Anna Belogliadova of Bradley with scores of 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.
- Jeladze rallied against Lasya Mylavarapu of Northern Iowa, winning 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.
Furthermore, in a closely contested match, Cielo Tapia-Cruz prevailed against UIC’s Dongke Liu, winning 7-5 in the third set after splitting the first two sets 6-1 each.
Looking Ahead
As the tournament progresses, Belmont will resume play at 9 a.m. on Saturday, featuring one round of doubles followed by singles matches. Fans and supporters can follow the Belmont women’s tennis team on social media, including X (formerly Twitter) at @BelmontWTennis and Instagram at @belmontwtennis, for ongoing updates.
Match Summaries
Doubles Results
Flight #1 QF: Savannah Webster/Jessica Popiol (Belmont) def. Yangjiaxin Li/Andjela Raznatovic (UNI), 8-4
Flight #2 QF: Mia Jones/Cielo Tapia-Cruz (Belmont) def. Lacey Tanner/Brynn Steven (Valparaiso), 8-5
Flight #3 QF: Ketevan Jeladze/Libbie Hamilton (Belmont) def. Bruna Melato/Arden Dethridge (Murray State), 8-2
Flight #4 SF: Molly Null/Rebecca Widan (Murray State) def. Emma Grant/Annika Warkentin (Belmont), 8-2
Singles Results
Flight #1 QF: Valeria Chaikovskaia (Murray State) def. Savannah Webster (Belmont), 6-1, 6-0
Flight #2 QF: Jessica Popiol (Belmont) def. Silvia Pomarolli (Illinois State), 6-3, 6-2
Flight #3 QF: Mia Jones (Belmont) def. Anna Belogliadova (Bradley), 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Flight #4 QF: Cielo Tapia-Cruz (Belmont) def. Dongke Liu (UIC), 6-1, 1-6, 7-5
Flight #5 QF: Ketevan Jeladze (Belmont) def. Lasya Mylavarapu (UNI), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Flight #6 QF: Libbie Hamilton (Belmont) def. Charlotte Deletioglu (UIC), 6-4, 6-3
Flight #7 QF: Jolene Fernandes (Valparaiso) def. Emma Grant (Belmont), 7-5, 6-1
Flight #7 QF: Ana Baron (Valparaiso) def. Annika Warkentin (Belmont), 6-4, 6-4
