In day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships, the Illinois State womens tennis team secured seven title matches to be played in day three. In singles action, six Redbird competitors advanced to the championship round, while two of the doubles pairs moved on.
Elizabeth Bingier defeated Wendi Webster of Wichita State 6-3, 6-1 to claim a Flight 2 victory, while Laura Gravino won against Drakes Allison Wilke 6-1, 6-1, in the semi-finals of Flight 4. Emilie Sechaud knocked off Wichita States Alejandra Ripoll 6-2, 6-0 in Flight 5, while Ashley Maxwell defeated Marissa Bianchi of Bradley 6-0, 6-0 in Flight 6.
In Flight 7 Vronique Parke-Bdard notched a win over teammate Matea Simovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, while Daniella Renovales defeated Samantha Schnobel of Northern Iowa 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 also in Flight 7. The Flight 7 title is already guaranteed to the Redbirds, as Parke-Bdard and Renovales will face off in the championship round. Head coach Chris Hoover was again pleased with his teams efforts, and confident the Birds can pull out all seven titles.
Im looking forward to these championship matches, said Hoover. Last year we had a competitor in all 10 title matches and we came away with six, this year were down from that with seven possible, but I really think we can get all seven. I know these kids are excited to bring home some hardware and Im confident they will do that.
In doubles play the duo of Katri Miller and Parke-Bdard defeated Zorana Stefanovic and Allison Wilkie of Drake 9-7 in Flight 1. In Flight 3 action Gravino and Sechaud teamed to defeat Agnes Puske and Meredith Esbeck of Northern Iowa 8-2.
Carolyne Parent, and Simovic will play in Flight 3 and Flight 7 third-place singles matches, while the duos of Parent and Maxwell as well as Bingier and Simovic will compete in Flight 2 and Flight 3 third-place doubles matches when championship action resumes Sunday morning at 8 a.m. at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield, Mo.
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Singles
No. 1 Elise Montrose (Bradley) def. Katri Miller (Illinois State) (def.)
No. 2 Elizabeth Bingier (Illinois State) def. Wendi Webster (WSU) 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 Liz Garza (SMS def. Carolyne Parent (Illinois State) 6-1, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4
No. 4 Laura Gravino (Illinois State) def. Allison Wilkie (DU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 5 Emilie Sechaud (Illinois State) def. Alejandra Ripoll (WSU) 6-2, 6-0
No. 6 Ashley Maxwell (Illinois State) def. Marissa Bianchi (BU) 6-0, 6-0
No. 7 Vronique Parke-Bdard (Illinois State) def. Matea Simovic (Illinois State) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Daniella Renovales (Illinois State) def. Samantha Schnobel (UNI) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
No. 1 Miller/Parke-Bdard (Illinois State) def. Stefanovic/Wilkie (DU) 9-7
No. 2 Stanojevic/Gakovic (SMS) def. Parent/Maxwell (Illinois State) 8-2
No. 3 Gravino/Sechuad (Illinois State) def. Puske/Esbeck (UNI) 8-2
Simmons/Richey (WSU) def. Bingier/Simovic (Illinois State) 8-5
