Photo by Darius Horton / MTSU Sidelines
Story by Nathan Vaughan / Sports Reporter
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders were back in action for their final regular season match as they played host to Xavier on Sunday. The match also served as the team’s Senior Day, where they honored Josefina Zehnder in her final home match as a Blue Raider.
The Muskateers took the opening doubles point, winning at the No. 1 and No. 2 matches. The lone Middle Tennessee victory came from the team of Costanza Magazzini and Zehnder at the No. 3 spot. Xavier had struggled all season in doubles play, going 34-32 overall. Meanwhile, MTSU has struggled to win matches after dropping their doubles point, going 2-6 in matches where they lose the opening point.
Luisa Zirilli got the Blue Raiders on the board with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win at the No. 6 singles match, while Magazzini pushed MT ahead with a three-set victory by a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 at the top spot. Kim Kermet put MTSU within a point of winning the match by dispatching one of Xavier’s best singles players in Sophia Abelson at the No. 3 spot by a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
In fairytale fashion, Zehnder clinched the match for the team with a win at the No. 2 spot, giving the Blue Raiders a 4-1 win in their regular season finale.
The win pushes MTSU’s record to 17-7 to finish the season, and it also gives them a three-match winning streak heading into the opening round of the Conference USA Tournament. That tournament will begin on Thursday, in Norfolk, Virginia.
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