Feb. 16, 2007
Final Stats
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -
The Illinois State women's tennis team claimed victory in seven of nine positions en route to defeating IUPUI, 5-2, on Friday at the Evergreen Racquet Club in Bloomington, Ill. The win improves the Redbirds' record to 3-0 on the season.
"We had a really solid effort tonight," head coach Chris Hoover said. "We started a little slow, but I could see our women kept their composure and worked hard for this victory."
With the loss, IUPUI drops its second consecutive match and falls to 3-2.
For the third straight match, the Redbirds took the early 1-0 lead by claiming the doubles point. The duo of junior Carolyne Parent and senior Matea Simovic, playing at the No. 3 position, took home the first doubles match of the evening by beating the Jaguars' Jessie Ritchie and Tessa Williams, 8-4.
Shortly after the match finished at No. 3, the duo of sophomore Tanja Hrovatic and freshman Julia Zubkova clinched the point for ISU by dispatching IUPUI's Andrea Burkhardt and Nikki Evans, 8-5. Rounding out the sweep in doubles action was ISU's No. 1 team of senior Katri Miller and junior Véronique Parke-Bédard, who won their sixth straight match as a tandem by beating Jessica Petersson and Allison Thompson, 8-5.
The Redbirds continued their strong play into singles action as ISU never allowed the Jaguars to gain momentum. Zubkova put the `Birds up 2-0 by sweeping Petersson at the No. 1 position, 6-1, 6-4.
The Jaguars closed to within 2-1 after Burkhardt defeated sophomore Megan Rozboril in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, but would get no closer as ISU won the next two matches to secure the victory.
Parent took home her third victory of the dual-match season by defeating Williams in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, at the No. 4 spot, while Parke-Bédard followed suit with a 6-3, 7-5, victory over Ritchie at the No. 2 position, which sealed the win for the Redbirds over IUPUI.
Winning the fifth point of the night was freshman Jeanelle Stines. Stines, a native of Gilbert, Ariz., recorded her first dual-match victory of the season by outlasting Emily Holsapple in three sets, 6-0, 1-6, 6-2.
The Redbirds complete their four-match homestand on Sat., at 1 p.m., against Illinois-Chicago at the ERC.
"Illinois-Chicago will present us with a very strong challenge," Hoover said. "UIC always plays us tough and I expect the same tomorrow."
