MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – After losing the doubles point and seeing themselves down 3-2 late in singles, the Lipscomb University Women's Tennis team rallied late thanks to the hands of Serafima Bobrovnikova and Martina Bovio to defeat Middle Tennessee State University, 4-3, Sunday afternoon from the Adams Tennis Center. 

Final Score: Lipscomb 4, Middle Tennessee State 3
Location: Murfreesboro, Tennessee (Adams Tennis Center)
Records: Lipscomb (2-0), Middle Tennessee State (1-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED
MTSU and Lipscomb split the first two doubles flights, as the Blue Raiders took court three with a 6-0 sweep. However, the Bisons came right back with a 6-3 victory at the top flight from Sofiia Paladi and Deborah Dominguez Collado (8-1). 

After Zora Koenig and Sara Conde took an early 2-1 lead in the set, Paladi/Dominguez Collado swept the next game and went on to grab the next four to lead 5-2 en route to the 6-3 victory. 

On court three, Martina Bovio and Serafima Bobrovnikova's late rally came up short. Falling 4-0 early, they won four of the next five games to cut the deficit to 5-4, but with MTSU serving, they secured the doubles point with the 6-4 result and take the 1-0 match lead. 

The Bisons got on the board first in singles to even the team score at a point apiece. Mariia Dolzhenko (11-3) swept Rutuja Chapalkar on the second flight, 6-0, 6-0. The junior took 79% of the points available (48-of-61). 

On court one, Paladi (7-5) took down Lena Peyer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, to give the Bisons the 2-1 lead. 

The Blue Raiders reclaimed the lead with wins at the third and sixth flights to lead 3-2. With their backs against the wall, the Bisons leaned on their two sophomores, who both lost their respective opening sets, to get the job done. 

On court five, Bobrovnikova picked up a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 win to even the score at three. In the second set, Bobrovnikova trailed her opponent in Sara Conde 3-4, but she came back to win the next three games en route to a third set cruise. 

Coming down to Bovio on court four, it became a battle. Her and her opponent, Koenig, split the first two sets to force a deciding third set. 

Bovio had the momentum early going up 4-2, but Koenig rallied back to even the set at four thanks to winning three straight points in the eighth game. 

Despite Koenig making it a 5-5 affair late, the Buenos Aires, Argentina won her final two points to secure the dub for her ninth win of the season and the team clincher over the Blue Raiders. 

HERD NOTES
The Bisons picked up their second win over the Blue Raiders in the last three seasons. Lipscomb also had a 4-3 win in Murfreesboro in 2024. 

UP NEXT
The Bisons are back in action on Friday as they head to Bowling Green to take on Western Kentucky.