The Eastern women’s tennis team (11-4) is heading to Nashville, Tenn. to face Belmont (4-13) after winning 5-2 against Jacksonville State Saturday.

The Panthers have now won nine of its last 10 matches and with a win against JSU, the team is at 6-1 for Ohio Valley Conference play for the season placing them fourth in the conference.

The Panthers were able to get four of its five points from single matches.

Sophomore Kelly Iden defeated sophomore Claudia Marsala in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Junior Ali Foster defeated junior Olivia Nguyen in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.

Senior Sephora Boulbahaiem defeated senior Zoe Bizinos in straight sets 6-1, 6-3. Sophomore Kamile Stadalninkaite defeated senior Danielle Kerindi in three sets 7-6, 0-6, 12-10.

Freshman Grace Summers played a hard fought match but fell short in three sets against freshman Genevie Ulanday 4-6, 7-5, 10-7.

Junior Hannah Kimbrough lost in straight sets against sophomore Sadey St. Amant 6-2, 6-3.

The Panthers were also able to get the doubles point winning two of three matches.

No. 1 doubles Boulbahaiem and Summers defeated Marsala and Ulanday 8-4 and No. 2 doubles Foster and Kimbrough defeated Bizinos and sophomore Diana Miceta 8-1.

No. 3 doubles Iden and Stadalninkaite were were down 7-6 against Kerindi and St. Amant, but they were

Belmont is coming off a 7-0 loss against Murray State Saturday, and the team has lost nine of its last 10 matches.

With the loss, Belmont is now 1-5 in OVC play and is eighth in the conference.

No. 1 singles for Belmont sophomore Lindsey Whitehead is 3-17 for singles this season and 0-6 in OVC contests. No. 2 singles sophomore Laura Van Eeckhoudt is 5-17 overall and 1-5 in OVC content.

No. 3 singles junior Kendall Warren is 7-10 overall and 3-3 in OVC contests. No.4 singles sophomore Abbie Mather is 4-13 overall and 0-4 in OVC contests.

No. 5 singles freshman Suzanna Stapler is 10-8 overall and 3-1 in OVC contests. No. 6 singles junior Ann Lauren Fiepke is 7-7 overall and 0-1 in OVC contests.   

The Panthers start the final week of its season Tuesday before the OVC tournament in Nashville, Tenn. at 5 p.m.

Chris Picazo can be reached at 581-2812 or cepicazo@eiu.edu