Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Tennessee State
Tennis Hosts Pair of OVC Matches
3/20/2014 12:34:00 PM | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
Women's Match Notes vs. Belmont
Men's Match Notes vs. Belmont
This weekend, Murray State's men's and women's tennis programs will host Tennessee State (March 22) and Belmont (March 23) at the Purcell Tennis Courts. Saturday's match with TSU is slated to begin at noon while Sunday's against Belmont is scheduled for 11 a.m.
The women's team has already played three matches this week. MSU went on the road to Alabama defeating Alabama A&M 5-0 and Jacksonville State, in their first OVC contest, 6-1. The Racers then came home to Murray, where Tennessee snapped their season-long three-game winning streak with a 7-0 win.
MSU has five student-athletes with double-digit wins this season. Andrea Eskauriatza leads the team with 14 followed by Eleonore and Verginie Tchakarova with 13, Erin Patton with 12 and Carla Suga with 10. Verginie Tchakarova has a team leading seven wins in dual matches.
The loss to UT snapped a few MSU winning streaks. Eskauriatza and Patton had won five consecutive doubles matches and Patton was on a four match win streak in singles competition. Megan Blue had her own three match winning streak halted against UT.
Murray State's women's team has never lost to TSU. The Racers are 26-0 against the Tigers with 15 wins at home. In the 26 matches, all played since 1988, MSU has won all but two sets.
TSU is 0-5 this season and 0-2 in the OVC.
The Racers have also had success against Belmont in the past. MSU is 11-1 all-time and undefeated at home. MSU's only loss to Belmont came in 2009 by a score of 4-3.
Belmont has lost three of its past four matches, including its only OVC match against Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks took down the Bruins 4-3 in their last match before this weekend.
Nikki Maciel and Abbie Mather both have winning records for Belmont this spring season. Maciel is 3-2 at mostly third singles while Mather is 4-1 at fourth and fifth singles. Mather and Maddie Gilley are 5-2 this season in doubles matches.
Murray State's men are mired in a four match losing streak. MSU opened their OVC schedule on the road at two-time defending conference regular season champions, Tennessee Tech.
The Racers' lone conference win in 2013 came against the Tigers.
Like the TSU women, the Tiger men are also 0-5. TSU is also 0-1 in the OVC.
The Bruin men are one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the OVC. Belmont stands at just 1-0 with a victory over TSU.
The win put the brakes on a five-match losing streak throughout the month of March.
Playing at first singles, Mauricio Antun is 7-4 this spring. Antun is also 8-1 at first doubles and 6-0 playing with Marko Lovrinovic.
Lovrinovic is the only other Bruin with double-digit wins this season. He stands at 11-9 but 5-6 in the spring at second singles.
