Racers Fall Short in Tight Battle at Samford

Sunday, February 22

Birmingham, AL

12 p.m.

Murray State

Samford

2/23/2026 2:10:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Box Score

The Murray State women's tennis team faced a narrow 4-3 defeat against Samford on February 22, 2026, at the Samford Tennis Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Despite a gritty performance that saw the Racers split the singles matches, Samford's edge in the doubles point ultimately decided the contest.

Singles Highlights

Murray State showed significant strength at the top and middle of the lineup:

No. 1 Singles: Valeria Chaikovskaia secured a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sara Erenda.
No. 3 Singles: Yuna Kadowaki fought through a tight first-set tiebreak to win 7-6, 6-3 against Eleni Liakonis.
No. 5 Singles: Yu Kikawa provided the most dominant singles performance for the Racers, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 win over Cathy Cardona-Carbal.

However, Samford responded with wins at the No. 2 and No. 6 spots. The most pivotal battle occurred at No. 4 singles, where Murray State's Bruna Melato took the opening set before Laila Fishman rallied to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, securing a vital point for the Bulldogs.

Doubles Action

The Racers opened doubles play with a statement at the No. 1 position, where the duo of Yu Kikawa and Yuna Kadowaki blanked Lea and Sara Erenda 6-0. Unfortunately, Samford claimed the remaining two matches, winning 6-1 at No. 2 and 6-3 at No. 3 to take the doubles point.

Following the loss, Murray State moves to a 2-4 season record, while Samford improves to 7-2.

The Racers are back in action Saturday, March. 7 at Jacksonville State.