NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's tennis team finished the 2017-18 season with a 13-10 overall record and 4-1 in Missouri Valley Conference play.
No. 1 Doubles – Veronika Golanova and Jelena Karla Vujicic
No. 1 doubles tandem Golanova and Vujicic claimed the MVC Individual Championships title this fall and qualified for the ITA Midwest Regionals. They were selected as the MVC Doubles Team of the Week once during the 2018 dual season. The duo completed the season with a team best 16-5 overall record, finished 9-3 in dual play, 7-2 in tournament play and 4-1 in MVC play. Junior Kustkova saw time on the No. 1 team for 9 matches with partner Golanova. While this duo was together they were 6-3 and selected as MVC Doubles Team of the week twice.
No. 2 Doubles – Jana Kustkova and Ivon Mihaleva
This Junior/Freshman duo completed the season with an 11-7 overall record, 6-3 in dual play, 5-3 in tournament play and 1-1 in MVC play. Freshman, Fitzgerald played 9 matches in the No. 2 doubles spot going, 3-0 with partner Kustkova and 2-4 with partner Mihaleva.
No. 3 Doubles – Valerija Gercar and Laura Fitzgerald
No. 3 doubles duo, Gercar and Fitzgerald finished the season with a 9-3 overall record, 4-1 in dual play, 4-2 in tournament play and 1-1 in MVC play. Newcomer Estelle Vanthier saw 15 matches in the No. 3 doubles spot with partner Gercar, 4-4 overall, 2-1 MVC play and went 5-2 overall with partner Fitzgerald.
No. 1 Singles – Veronika Golanova
Illinois State's ace, Golanova was named the Missouri Valley Conference women's tennis Player of the Year and was named to the MVC No. 1 Singles All-Conference team. She has excelled on and off the court this season, receiving the Darlene A. Kluka Scholarship and was selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. She was a finalist in the No. 1 singles spot at the MVC Individual Championships this fall and qualified for the ITA Midwest Regionals. This season Golanova was selected as MVC Singles Player of the Week three times. She finished the season, 20-12 overall, 13-9 in dual play, 7-3 in tournament play and 5-0 in MVC play.
No. 2 Singles – Jelena Karla Vujicic
Sophomore Vujicic was the primary No. 2 singles player for ISU this year. She claimed a third-place title in the No. 2 singles spot at the MVC Individual Championship and qualified for the ITA Midwest Regionals this fall. She was named to the MVC All-Select team and owns an overall record of 10-11, a dual season record of 6-6, a tournament season record of 4-5 and went 3-2 in MVC play.
No. 3 Singles – Jana Kustkova
Kustkova was selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team this season and owns an overall record of 11-16. In dual play she owned an 8-12 record, a tournament record of 3-4 and went 2-3 in MVC play.
No. 4 Singles – Ivon Mihaleva
No. 4 singles player Mihaleva claimed a 15-9 overall record this season as a freshman. She went 8-8 in dual play, 7-1 in tournament play and 1-1 in MVC in her first season as a Redbird. She was a finalist in the MVC Individual Championships in flight four competition this fall.
No. 5 Singles – Valerija Gercar
In her last season as a Redbird Gercar competed in the No. 5 singles spot primarily and was selected to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team for the second year in a row. This fall she went undefeated in the Redbird Duals Tournament. Overall Gercar owns a 10-3 record this 2017-18 season, a 7-2 dual play record, a 3-1 tournament play record and a 3-2 MVC play record.
No. 6 Singles – Laura Fitzgerald
Freshman Fitzgerald, claimed a 19-10 overall record in her first season as a redbird. She went undefeated this fall in the Redbird Duals Tournament. In dual season play she finished with a 15-6 record, in tournament play a 4-4 record and in conference she claimed a 4-1 record.
Newcomer – Estelle Vanthier
Vanthier joined Illinois State mid-season this year and owned a 4-12 overall record this 2018 season.
The Redbirds went 91-83 overall in singles and 59-33 overall in doubles this 2017-18 season.
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