Oct. 12, 2008
Stats
DES MOINES, Iowa -
Freshman Hannah Esker captured third place in Flight 5 singles play as the Illinois State women's tennis team concluded play Sunday at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Individual Championship at the Drake Tennis Center.
Esker defeated Kari Sloboth of Drake (DU), 6-0, 6-2, to win the third place finish.
Redbird teammates Tanja Hrovatic and Carmen Peters received second place finishes after both falling to Wichita State (WSU) players in singles finals. Hrovatic fell to Florentina Hanisch (WSU), 6-0, 7-6(8), in Flight 4, and Peters fell to Torrie Browning (WSU), 6-1, 6-2, in Flight 6.
Head women's tennis coach Chris Hoover was disappointed with the results of day three.
"The girls fought hard," said Hoover. "It just was not enough today. It is the first time in my 14 years here that we have not come home with a championship title."
In other singles play, Natalia Lech was defeated by Stephanie Dalmacio (WSU), 3-6, 7-5, 10-7, in Flight 2 to receive fourth place, and Franziska Steinhardt also received fourth place after being bested by Sourthern Illinois's (SIU) Ame Blacketer, 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-4, in Flight 3.
In Flight 7 singles play, Sarah Streitz won seventh place after out playing Shelly Scimeca (SIU), 6-1, 6-1.
In doubles action, it was a showdown between Illinois State and Wichita State in the Flight 1 and Flight 3 finals with Wichita State coming out on top. The Redbird Flight 1 pairing of Julia Zubkova and Steinhardt fell to Stephanie Dalmacio and Laryssa Ferriera (WSU), 8-3, and Redbirds Peters and Lech lost to Florentina Hanisch and Lenore Lazaroiu (WSU), 9-7, in Flight 3.
"We had chances to win today," said Hoover. "Everyone in the conference is improving, and we are working hard to do the same."
