March 8, 2009
Stats
NEW ORLEANS -
Junior Julia Zubkova and freshman Franziska Steinhardt clinched the doubles point, but it was not enough as the Illinois State women's tennis team fell to Tulane, 5-2, Sunday at the Goldring Tennis Center.
Zubkova and Steinhardt fell behind 2-6 in Flight 1 doubles, but they rallied back to win, 8-6, over Tulane's Anna Bartenstein and Elizabeth Hamlin. The Redbirds also took the win in Flight 3 doubles play with Carmen Peters and Hannah Esker defeating Jessica Lange and Marcela Fonseca, 8-6.
The Redbird duo of Natalia Lech and Tanja Hrovatic fell to the Green Wave's Lindsay Dvorak and Mariam Kurdadze, 8-4, in Flight 2.
After winning the doubles point, Illinois State could not secure the win, going 1-5 in singles play.
Illinois State's only singles victory came in Flight 5 with Esker defeating Caroline Gerber, 6-2, 6-4.
In Flight 1 singles, Steinhardt fell to Tulane's Bartenstein, 6-3, 6-3, while Zubkova lost to Kurdadze, 6-4, 6-2, in Flight 2. Hrovatic's Flight 4 singles match went into three sets. However, Hrovatic ultimately lost to Hamlin, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. In Flight 3, Lech fell to Dvorak, 6-4, 7-5, while Tulane's Fonseca bested Peters, 6-1, 6-1, in Flight 6.
"It was a hard fought match," said head coach Chris Hoover. "Our doubles play really shined today [Sunday], but it just was not enough. However, it was good to get back outside, and hopefully, tomorrow's match will end in our favor."
The Redbirds fall to 5-5 overall this season, while Tulane moves to 8-7.
The Redbirds continue play in New Orleans Monday as they play Louisiana-Lafayette at the Cajun Courts Tennis Complex at 2 p.m.
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