Oct. 9, 2009
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -
Redbird freshman Aniko Kiss advanced to the Flight 1 singles semifinals as the Illinois State women's tennis team ended day one at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships in the Tri-State Tennis Center courts. Heavy rain in the Evansville area forced Friday's play to move indoors.
Kiss was able to advance to the Flight 1 singles semifinals by outplaying Northern Iowa's Phoebe Walker, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
In other singles action, Julia Zubkova, Natalia Lech, Franziska Steinhardt and Stephanie Youngberg also advanced into the semifinals. Zubkova competed in Flight 2, where she defeated Northern Iowa's Sampada Kanade, 6-4, 6-2. Lech played in Flight 3, where she dominated Kelsey Schmidt from Creighton, 6-0, 6-0. Steinhardt competed in Flight 4 against Creighton's Mary McMullan besting her, 6-1, 6-0. Youngberg played in Flight 7 singles against Jessica Raatz of Evansville and won, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.
In Flight 7 singles, junior Maria Occhipinti fell to Drake's Earlynn Laur, 6-4, 6-4.
Head coach Chris Hoover is pleased with how well the team played today.
"We advanced players to all singles semifinals today," Hoover said. "It's exactly what we expected to do. If we haven't had gotten everyone in every flight today, I would've been upset but I'm very pleased with our outcome today. We want to keep the success going tomorrow."
In doubles action, Redbird duo of Zubkova and Steinhardt advanced to Flight 1 doubles semifinals after besting Emily Regenold and Nicole Miller of Bradley, 8-1. Lech and and freshman Ariane Maack advanced to Flight 2 doubles when they defeated Aleksandra Dzakula and Ashton Schwerin of Evansville, 8-5.
Day two of the championships will continue Saturday, Oct. 10, at 9 a.m.
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