Missouri tennis finished up its fall schedule Sunday at the June Stewart Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, with a weekend of competition that provided its young roster another opportunity to gain experience before the spring season.
The Tigers competed in the final day of the tournament, hosted by Vanderbilt, with freshmen Danielle Chapman and Evelyn Whiteside earning one of the team’s highlights in doubles play. The duo defeated Belmont’s Emmi Kolyszko and Savannah Webster in a tightly contested
7-6 (6) match.
Missouri also saw two freshmen compete in three-set singles matches, but neither was able to secure a victory. Whiteside fell to Lipscomb’s Sarah Stoyanov, while Mariana Higuita Barraza lost to Belmont’s Webster.
The tournament marked another opportunity for Missouri’s young roster to develop chemistry and gain experience against outside competition. The Tigers have spent the fall building familiarity with one another and adjusting to collegiate competition.
Assistant coach Bronte Murgett, who coached the athletes competing in Nashville, emphasized the importance of the tournament as Missouri continues preparing for the spring schedule.
“A good week at the June Stewart Invite, filled with valuable opportunities, lessons, and growth,” Murgett said. “The girls competed hard, battled through challenges, and continued to improve.”
The fall schedule gave Missouri several opportunities to evaluate its roster through individual and doubles competition. The Tigers competed at the Charlotte Invitational, the ITA Central Regional Championships and the Battle for the Boot earlier in the fall.
Those tournaments provided opportunities for the newcomers to build confidence and establish themselves within the program as coach Robin Goodman continues through his first season leading Missouri.
While the Tigers finished the fall without a team result to carry into the spring, the individual matches offered valuable experience against a variety of opponents. The close doubles victory from Chapman and Whiteside also provided a positive finish to the fall slate.
“We’ll take everything we’ve learned, keep pushing each other, and continue building towards being ready to compete this spring,” Murgett said. “The work continues! MIZ.”
Missouri will return to competition Jan. 17 against UT-Arlington before facing SMU on Jan. 18. Both matches will take place in University Park, Texas, as the Tigers begin their spring season. Coverage from here until that season starts will focus on individual player profiles, so stay tuned.
