NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's tennis team captured seven singles wins and five doubles victories at the season-opening Saint Louis Billiken Classic Saturday at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center.
"Today was a challenging day since we had a long rain delay and then played three matches in a row," head coach Maja Kovacek said. "I was happy we played with confidence in singles and showed improvements in doubles, ending with a great win for Kadi (Ilves) and Chanel (Scudiero) against a tough SIUE team."
In singles play, junior Kadi Ilves beat Missouri-St. Louis' Renee Verboven, 6-2, 6-1. Sophomore Chanel Scudiero swept Missouri-St. Louis' Leanna Catalupo, 6-2, 6-3, and SIUE's Haley Ilcewicz, 6-0, 6-0.
Freshman Valerija Gercar defeated Missouri-St. Louis' Annie Hays, 6-1, 7-5, and freshman Cricket Geldermann was victorious against Missouri-St. Louis' Chandler Duchaine, 6-1, 6-1. She also beat Saint Louis' Brooke Urzendowski, 6-1, 6-2. Sophomore Natalia Parchowska defeated Missouri-St. Louis' Selena Smith, 6-2, 6-2.
The Redbirds advanced in doubles play when llves and Scudiero defeated SIUE's Sierra Halverson and Lexi Aranda, 7-6, and Missouri-St. Louis' Renee Verboven and Annie Hays, 6-3, before the duo falling to Saint Louis' Aspen Cervin and Madison Cook, 7-6.
Gercar and Haycock defeated Missouri-St. Louis' Natalie Carvalhais and Chandler Duchaine, 7-6, before a loss versus Saint Louis' Brooke Urzendowski and Kelsey King, 6-0.
Geldermann and Parchowska advanced against Missouri-St. Louis' Leanna Cantalupo and Selena Smith, 6-2, and SIUE's McKenzie Thomas and Haley llcewicz, 6-2, before a loss against Saint Louis Maria Toro and Natalia Yacaman, 6-2.
With their first match of the season complete, the Redbirds will next compete in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the University of Northern Iowa Invitational, Sept. 26-28.
GoRedbirds.com:Â Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.ÂÂÂÂ
