April 16, 2006
Final Stats
NORMAL, Ill. - The Redbirds (10-5, 6-1) gave Wichita State (11-7, 5-1) its first conference loss of the season due to Illinois State's impressive come back in singles. Nicole Schneider played at No. 3 singles today and gave the `Birds the final match point to win 4-3 over the Shockers.
The Redbirds struggled in doubles losing all but one match. No. 1 double pair of Katri Miller and Michelle Rabinovich faced Madina Rakhim and Wendi Webster and lost the match 8-3. No. 2 doubles, Ashley Maxwell and Véronique Parke Bédard, were defeated by Ana Ines Exeni and Anna Egorova.
Nicole Schneider and Matea Simovic were successful in their No. 3 doubles match as they beat Jackie Richey and Genevieve Spink 8-4 but the match victory was not enough to give the Redbirds the doubles point and the team was behind entering singles matches. However, Illinois State displayed anything but defeat.
Parke- Bédard won No. 4 singles against Egorova to tie the match at 1-1 for the Redbirds. However, the Shockers earned another point against Illinois State as Miller faced one of the toughest players of the league, Rakhim, in No. 1 singles and lost 6-3, 6-4. Ashley Maxwell had a great performance in No. 6 singles outlasting Spink for the 6-3, 6-4 victory, and Carolyne Parent carried on in the same manner in her No. 5 match winning 7-5, 6-3 against Torrie Browning.
Emilie Sechaud and Schneider were the last of the singles matches. Sechaud lost 6-4 in the first set, but came back for the 6-1 win in the second to tie Webster. Sechaud then battled it out in the third set, but lost 6-1.
The loss put the Redbirds and the Shockers at a tie, and the `Birds' chance to win was now in the hands of Schneider's No. 3 singles' match. Schneider won 6-1, but lost 7-6 in the second set of the match which resulted in a tie breaker. Schneider fought long and hard against Exeni in the split set match and outlasted the Wichita State opponent for the final 7-4 (7-6) win.
Head coach Chris Hoover was impressed with Schneider's play.
"Nicole held out great in her match and never quit," said Hoover. "She never let up and worked really hard."
Hoover could not have been happier with today's results and emphasizes how the win is most memorable for him and the team.
"It's one of the best victories we've ever had," said Hoover. "I was really happy with how we came out in singles and performed our best even after losing that doubles point. We came back and set the tone."
Illinois State plays next weekend at home against Evansville on April 21 at 3 p.m. and Southern Illinois on April 22 at 1 p.m.
