By Brandon Burke, UT Martin Sports Information Intern
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Kicking off their return to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament after a three-year absence with a thrilling 7-5 doubles-deciding point over 3rd-seeded Belmont at a neutral venue in Evansville on Friday afternoon, the University of Tennessee at Martin tennis team was unfortunately unable to sustain their momentum once the postseason match descended into the one-on-one format, coming up empty in four straight singles sets to mark a 4-1 final score in favor of the Bruins.
Another admirable effort from the 6th-seeded Skyhawks – in a similar manner to the two sides’ previous meeting nearly three weeks back in Nashville – turned into back-to-back duo’s victories by the usual tandems of Lia Espinal / Jillian Niedzialowski and Aziza Aubin / Amelia Campbell after Belmont took the first tag-team decision.
Downing Anastasiya Zholdakova and Taylor Trondson by a 6-3 difference to balance the doubles score up at 1-1 for their seventh win in a two-on-two setting this year, Espinal and Niedzialowski’s W served as a welcoming prelude to what was arguably the most dramatic set of the afternoon to clinch the overall doubles point in the orange and blue’s favor.
Collecting their third duo’s victory against league competitors in a 7-5 thriller over Somer Henry and Peyton Lee, Aubin and Campbell’s nail-biting win cemented the fourth occasion in conference play that the Skyhawks raced out of the gates with a 1-0 lead at the checkered flag of doubles action.
While the Bruins managed to regroup and eliminate UTM from the postseason by grasping the first four singles series, the Skyhawks weren’t without a slew of notable performances once again, namely an unfinished third set from Mizuki Sakurai that was ongoing after a 6-4 win in the second rally and a back-and-forth second set involving Amelia Campbell that continued upon a 7-6 decision from the prior set.
Although the end result marks the final appearance of the spring for UT Martin and an advancement into the semifinal round for the Bruins, the Skyhawks can hold their heads up high after successfully qualifying for the OVC tourney yet again thanks to 53 singles victories next to 32 more in doubles outings.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information