BLOOMINGTON, Ill.-- The Illinois State women's tennis team (13-7, 6-2 MVC) picked up a narrow 5-2 victory over the Belmont Bruins (5-14, 4-3 MVC) inside Evergreen Racquet Club on Friday. 

The Birds swept doubles play to pick up the first point of the day. Juniors Lana Caculovic (Dugo Selo, Croatia) and Silvia Pomarolli (Cecina, Italy) defeated Kliimand/Sokolovic of BU by a score of 6-1. At No. 2, graduate student Elena Jankulovska (Skopje, Macedonia) and 

Freshman Emma Lindh (Malmo, Sweden) continued the Illinois State momentum by picking up the second win of the day by a final score of 6-4. The final Redbirds doubles win came thanks to freshman Nicole Iosio (Cordenons, Italy) and junior Zoe Limparis (Hinsdale, Illinois) by a 7-5 final.

As play shifted to singles competition Illinois State secured four victories which saw a three-set win at No. 6 from freshman Sophie Marie Lowe (Wimbledon, Great Britain) over Sarah McElrath of the Bruins (4-6, 6-1, 6-1). 

At No. 1 Caculovic defeated Kliimand, 6-4, 6-2. Iosio secured the victory at No. 5 in straight sets over Aly Getty, 6-4, 6-2. Freshman Nuria Sanz (Valencia, Spain) gave the final match point to the Redbirds winning in a nail biting tiebreaker against Libbie Hamilton at No. 4.

Doubles:

No. 1- Lana Caculovic/Silvia Pomarolli (ISU) def. Viktoria Kliimand/ Hana Sokolovic (BEL) 6-1

No. 2- Elena Jankulovska/Emma Lindh (ISU) def. Aly Getty/Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) 6-4

No. 3- Nicole Iosio/Zoe Limparis (ISU) def. Libbie Hamilton/Sarah McElrath (BEL) 7-5

Singles:

No. 1- Anastasi Zholdakova (BEL) def. Silvia Pomarolli (ISU) 6-3, 6-0

No. 2- Lana Caculovic (ISU) def. Viktoria Kliimand (BEL) 6-4, 6-2

No. 3- Hana Sokolovic (BEL) def. Elena Jankulovska (ISU) 6-3, 1-0, WR

No. 4- Nuria Sanz (ISU) def. Libbie Hamilton (BEL) 6-2 , 6 (7)-6 (5)

No. 5- Nicole Iosio (ISU) def. Aly Getty (BEL) 6-4, 6-2

No. 6- Sophie Marie Lowe (ISU) def. Sarah McElrath (BEL) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1

UP NEXT-

Illinois State will travel to Valparaiso, Indiana where they will open up play at the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Championships, hosted by Valparaiso, on April 26.

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