The Belmont University women’s tennis team defeated Valparaiso 4-3 on Apr. 12, clinching a spot in the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Championship during their senior day match at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex.
This victory is significant for the Bruins, who ended a four-match losing streak and improved their conference record to 2-4. The win also secured their place in the upcoming conference championship.
Belmont’s doubles teams swept all three matches, conceding no more than two games in any set. The team earned 6-2 wins at both No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, while securing a 6-1 victory at No. 2 doubles with contributions from graduate and junior players.
In singles play, Tapia-Cruz won her match against Alexandra Popa of Valparaiso with scores of 6-2, 6-2 on court two. Popiol also recorded a straight-set victory by defeating Lacey Tanner after taking the first set in a tiebreaker and dominating the second set on court three. Despite losses at other positions, freshman Jeladze clinched the overall team win by overcoming Brynn Steven with consecutive sets of 6-3 after dropping the first set.
After the match concluded, seniors Hamilton (2022–26) and Tapia-Cruz (2025–26) were recognized for their contributions to Belmont’s program as part of senior day honors.
Looking ahead, Belmont will finish its regular season next weekend against Murray State before competing in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship scheduled for April 24–26 at University of Illinois Chicago.
