Ole Miss spent the weekend in Montgomery playing its best tennis of the season, and it ended with a trophy. The Rebels won the Blue Gray Tennis Classic on Saturday, knocking off top‑seeded Wake Forest 4-3 in a tight championship match and watching junior Alice Battesti walk away as the tournament’s MVP.
The run started with a strong opening draw. Ole Miss handled its early singles and doubles matches, including a sharp 6-1 win from Riley Crowder and freshman Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita against Mississippi State. Lèna Thomas Iglesias and Battesti followed with a 7-6 doubles win over West Alabama, and all three freshmen — Iglesias, Nita and Crowder — saw action in singles. Battesti set the tone with a straight‑set win over Mississippi State’s Seye, while Iglesias and Nita each rolled through their West Alabama opponents.
That momentum carried into the Utah matchup. Crowder and Nita kept clicking in doubles with another 6-2 win, and Iglesias and Battesti backed them up with a 6-4 victory. Battesti stayed steady in singles with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Utah’s Moore, and Nita fought through a three‑setter to clinch the 4-2 semifinal result. Utah grabbed two singles points, but Ole Miss had already done enough to move on.
The championship match against Wake Forest was the kind of back‑and‑forth finish that makes these tournaments fun. Wake took the doubles point with wins on both courts, then added another point when Hill beat Crowder in singles. Down 2-0, Ole Miss needed a push, and it got one.
Battesti answered first with a three‑set comeback over Gownder. Nita followed with a straight‑set win over Santos, and Iglesias delivered a dominant 6-0, 6-2 result against Nisbet to tie the match at 3-3. Everything came down to the final doubles court, and Crowder and Nita didn’t blink. They closed out Hill and Santos 10-6 to seal the championship.
Battesti’s MVP nod felt fitting. She won key matches in both singles and doubles all weekend and anchored a lineup that looked more confident with each round. Ole Miss didn’t just win the Blue Gray. It earned it, point by point, all the way to the last swing.
Ole Miss Results
Opening Round
Riley Crowder/Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Robinson/Seye (MSU), 6-1
Lèna Thomas Iglesias/Alice Battesti (OM) def. Milliam/Stancescu (UWA), 7-6
Robinson (MSU) def. Riley Crowder (OM), 7-5, 7-6
Alice Battesti (OM) def. Seye (MSU), 7-6, 7-5
Lèna Thomas Iglesias (OM) def. Milliam (UWA), 6-3, 6-2
Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Stancescu (UWA), 6-2, 6-2
Riley Crowder/Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Akid/Lenz (Utah), 6-2
Lèna Thomas Iglesias/Alice Battesti (OM) def. Moore/Metwali (Utah), 6-4
Semifinal vs. Utah
Riley Crowder/Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Akid/Lenz, 6-2
Lèna Thomas Iglesias/Alice Battesti (OM) def. Moore/Metwali, 6-4
Akid (Utah) def. Riley Crowder (OM), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
Alice Battesti (OM) def. Moore (Utah), 6-3, 6-3
Metwali (Utah) def. Lèna Thomas Iglesias (OM), 6-4, 7-6
Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Lenz (Utah), 6-3, 5-7, 7-5
Championship vs. Wake Forest
Hill/Santos (WF) def. Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita/Riley Crowder (OM), 7-6
Gownder/Nisbet (WF) def. Lèna Thomas Iglesias/Alice Battesti (OM), 6-4
Hill (WF) def. Riley Crowder (OM), 6-1, 7-5
Alice Battesti (OM) def. Gownder (WF), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita (OM) def. Santos (WF), 6-2, 7-5
Lèna Thomas Iglesias (OM) def. Nisbet (WF), 6-0, 6-2
Sarah Victoria Majesty Nita/Riley Crowder (OM) def. Hill/Santos (WF), 10-6
