ROME, Ga. – James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Troy battled through Friday in the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Tennis Championship Quarterfinals at the Rome Tennis Center. Each team secured a spot in the event’s semifinal round to be contested on Saturday.
The day featured a trio of upsets as top-seeded Old Dominion was the only higher seeded team to advance to the semifinals. In every match, the team that won the doubles point, won the match. (5) James Madison defeated (4) South Alabama 4-1 to start the day as (1) Old Dominion defeated (9) Arkansas State 4-0. The afternoon matches went the distance as (7) Troy outlasted (2) App State 4-3. (6) Marshall held off (3) Texas State to win 4-3 and advance to the semifinals.
Old Dominion will face James Madison with Marshall taking on Troy in the Semifinals. Both matches will start at 1 p.m. ET. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Match 3: (5) James Madison 4, (4) South Alabama 1
Box Score
James Madison (10-12) won the first doubles match on court one as Daria Munteanu and Ines Oliveira won 6-3. South Alabama (14-6) responded on court three with a 6-3 win from Manal Ennaciri and Lara van der Merwe. The Dukes secured the doubles point on court two with the 7-5 decision from Elena Kraleva and Mia Saveljic.
South Alabama won the first singles court as Delien Kleinhans won 6-2, 6-2 on court one to tie the match at one. Daria Munteanu responded for James Madison on court two with a 7-5, 6-2 win. Hope Moulin won the tiebreak in the first set of her match on court six 7-3 and put the Dukes ahead 3-1 with a 6-2 win in the second set.
Mia Saveljic won in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 on court five to send the Dukes to the semifinals. James Madison improved to 4-1 all-time against South Alabama with the win and advances to face Old Dominion at 1 p.m. ET.
Match 4: (1) Old Dominion 4, (9) Arkansas State 0
Box Score
Old Dominion (17-4) won on courts one and two as Ulyana Romanova and Lidiia Rasskouskaia won 6-0 on court two. The First Team All-Conference doubles team of Sofia Johnson and Victoria Matasova won 6-4 on court one to secure the early 1-0 lead.
Victoria Matasova from Old Dominion scored the first singles point on court five with a straight set 6-2, 6-1 win. Sun Belt Player of the Year Sofia Johnson won on court one 6-0, 6-1 to give the Monarchs a 3-0 lead.
Arkansas State (13-11) was leading on one of the unfinished courts, however Marina Markina secured the 4-0 win on court six 7-5, 6-1.
Old Dominion returns to the semifinals for the third straight season and will face James Madison at 1 p.m. ET.
Match 5: (6) Marshall vs (3) Texas State
Box Score
Sixth-seeded Marshall used momentum from the doubles point to upset the No. 3 seed in Texas State 4-3. First Team All-Conference doubles pairing Sophia Hurrion and Aisling McGrane won on court two 6-0. Johanna Strom and Nel Van Hout gave the Thundering Herd the early 1-0 lead with a 6-4 win on court three.
Texas State (16-6) won the first singles match as Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Ireland Simme won 6-4, 6-1 on court six to tie the match at one. Marshall answered with a pair of wins as McGrane won 6-3, 6-3 on court four and Strom finished 6-3, 6-3 on court one to give the Herd a 3-1 advantage.
Callie Creath won for Texas State on court two after dropping the first set 6-2, she won 6-2, 6-0 for the crucial team point. Despite a rain delay, Sofia Fortuno tied the match at three on singles court five 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Marshall (19-5) overcame a 5-4 deficit on court three as Alina Mokrynskaya lost the first set 6-2, but answered 6-1, 7-5 to send the Herd to the semifinals.
The upset was the second of the day as Marshall will face Troy in the Semifinals at 1 p.m. ET.
Match 6: (7) Troy 4, (2) App State 3
Box Score
Seventh-seeded Troy (13-9) punched its return ticket to the Semifinals with a 4-3 win over second-seeded App State for the third upset of the day.
App State (17-6) won the first doubles match on court three as Olwyn Ryan-Bovey and Alexi Cleveland won 6-2. Gabrielle Leslie and Emilia Namyslo won on court two 6-3 to even the doubles count. Maria Guirguis and Valeriia Avdeeva secured the early lead on court one by a 6-4 scoreline.
Leena Metwally won 6-3, 6-2 on court four to put the Trojans ahead 2-0. Second Team All-Conference member Valeriia Avdeeva put Troy ahead 3-0 with a 6-2, 6-3 win on court three.
App State mounted the comeback with three straight singles wins to tie the match at three. Second Team All-Conference member Naledi Manyube fell in the first set 6-1, but answered 6-1, 6-2 to win on court two. Ruby Broadbent won on court six 6-3, 6-4 as Sun Belt First Team All-Conference member Savannah Dada-Mascoll won 7-5, 6-3 on court one to tie the match.
Hagar Amin sealed the match for the Trojans on court five. Amin lost the first set 6-0 but answered 6-3, 6-2 to give the Trojans the upset victory. The Trojans return to the semifinals for the second straight year and will face Marshall at 1 p.m. ET.
2025 Sun Belt Women’s Tennis Championship (Rome, Ga.)
First Round - Thursday, April 24
Match 1 – (9) Arkansas State 4, (8) Georgia State 1
Match 2 – (7) Troy 4, (10) Coastal Carolina 2
Quarterfinals - Friday, April 25
Match 3 – (5) James Madison 4, (4) South Alabama 1
Match 4 – (1) Old Dominion 4, (9) Arkansas State 0
Match 5 – (3) Texas State vs. (6) Marshall
Match 6 – (7) Troy 4, (2) App State 3
Semifinals - Saturday, April 26
Match 7 – (1) Old Dominion vs. (5) James Madison – 1:00 p.m. ET
Match 8 – Winner Match 5 vs. (7) Troy – 1:00 p.m. ET
Championship - Sunday, April 27
Match 9 – Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8 – 1:00 p.m. ET