![\"Murray](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Large-new-logos7.png\")
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Next Match:<\/p>\n
at Murray State<\/p>\n
4\/18\/2026 | 11 AM<\/p>\n
\n Apr. 18 (Sat) \/ 11 AM
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\n at\u00a0Murray State
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History <\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n NASHVILLE, Tenn. \u2013 Sweeping doubles and winning three singles matches in the middle of the lineup, the Belmont University women’s tennis team secured a spot in the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championship with a 4-3 senior day victory over Valparaiso Sunday at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. The Bruins (3-16, 2-4 MVC) halted a four-match slide with the gritty win as freshman Ketevan Jeladze<\/a> clinched the match in three sets at No. 4 singles. #ItsBruinTime
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\nIn Belmont’s final home match of the season, the Bruins put together perhaps their best doubles performance. Conceding no more than two games in any of the three doubles sets, Belmont got 6-2 wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots and a 6-1 triumph at the No. 2 position courtesy of graduate Cielo Tapia-Cruz<\/a> and junior Hana Sokolovic<\/a>.
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\nIn singles action, both Tapia-Cruz and sophomore Jessica Popiol<\/a> were straight-set winners. Tapia-Cruz took out the Beacons’ Alexandra Popa 6-2, 6-2 on court two, and Popiol defeated Valparaiso’s Lacey Tanner 7-5 in an opening set tiebreaker before cruising in the second set, 6-0, on court three.
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\nThe Beacons (10-8, 0-5 MVC) would even the match at 3-3 before Jeladze’s clinching victory on court four.
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\nValparaiso’s Moira Silva defeated redshirt freshman Savannah Webster<\/a> 6-3, 6-2 at the top of the lineup and the Beacons’ Andrea Delgado bested junior Emma Grant<\/a> 6-1, 6-3 at No. 5 singles. At the sixth spot, Valparaiso’s Jolene Fernandes outlasted senior Libbie Hamilton<\/a> in a 6-2 third set.
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\nTaking on the Beacons’ Brynn Steven, Jeladze overcame a 7-5 first set loss with consecutive 6-3 wins to give the Bruins their second MVC triumph of the year.
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\nFollowing the match, both Hamilton (2022-26) and Tapia-Cruz (2025-26) were honored for senior day.
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\nUp Next
\nBelmont wraps up the regular season next weekend, traveling to Murray State Saturday. First serve from the Bennie Purcell Tennis Courts in Murray, Kentucky, is scheduled for 11 a.m. The MVC Championship will be held Friday-Sunday, April 24-26 at the University of Illinois Chicago.
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\nHow to Follow
\nFollow Belmont women’s tennis on social media \u2013\u00a0@BelmontWTennis<\/a>\u00a0on X, formerly Twitter,\u00a0@belmontwtennis<\/a>\u00a0on Instagram and\u00a0Belmont Women’s Tennis<\/a>\u00a0on Facebook \u2013 for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont’s athletic programs via the\u00a0official app of the Belmont Bruins<\/a>, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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