SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois State women's tennis team went 6-2 overall Saturday, with two doubles teams and three singles players advancing to Sunday's championship round at day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Individual Championships.
"We played well today," head coach Maja Kovacek said. "We were just a couple of points away from going undefeated for the day. Tomorrow we will have to be aggressive in our singles matches and continue to play with confidence in doubles."
For the second week in a row, Redbird duo Kadi Ilves and Marcia Tere-Apisah will compete for a championship title. In the Flight 1 Doubles semifinals, Ilves and Tere-Apisah defeated Northern Iowa's Elvira Lopez and Jieke Stroobant, 8-5. Ilves and Tere-Apisah will battle Adrienne Jensen and Maddie Johnson of Drake in the Flight 1 Doubles finals.
In the Flight 2 Doubles semifinals, Veronika Golanova and Jana Kustkova bested Gisela Kemper and Sydney Wolfe of Northern Iowa, 8-6 to earn a spot in the finals. Golanova and Kustkova will face Wichita State's Luca Pump and Tanaporn Thongsing in the Flight 2 Doubles finals.
Three Redbirds also advanced to Sunday's singles final round: Tere-Apisah, Chanel Scudiero and Valerija Gercar.
In the Flight 1 Singles semifinals, Tere-Apisah topped Ema Turudija of Missouri State, 6-3, 6-2 to move on to the Flight 1 Singles finals where she will compete against Wichita State's Abby Stevens.
In the Flight 4 Singles semifinals Scudiero defeated Ekaterina Donetskova of Missouri State, 6-2, 6-1. Scudiero will play Wichita State's Luca Pump in the Flight 4 Singles finals.
For the second-consecutive week, Gercar has advanced to the singles championships. In the Flight 7 Singles semifinals, Gercar won against Wichita State's Amber Zimmerman, 6-6, 6-0. Gercar will compete in the Flight 7 Singles finals against Ashley Thai of Bradley.
In Flight 6 Singles, Catherine Shulman beat Savannah Hunt of Northern Iowa, 6-1, 6-1, to finish fifth overall in that bracket.
The MVC Individual Championships concludes Sunday with the singles and doubles finals. Tournament play will begin at 9 a.m.at the Velasco Tennis Center in Springfield, Illinois. For updates throughout the day, follow ISU women's tennis on Twitter: @RedbirdWTEN.
Illinois State Results
Flight 1 Doubles
Kadi Ilves/Marcia Tere-Apisah (Illinois State) def. Elvira Lopez/Jieke Stroobant (Northern Iowa), 8-5
Kadi Ilves/Marcia Tere-Apisah (Illinois State) will play Adrienne Jensen/Maddie Johnson (Drake) in Flight 1 Doubles finals Sunday.
Flight 2 Doubles
Veronika Golanova/Jana Kustkova (Illinois State) def. Gisela Kemper/Sydney Wolfe (Northern Iowa), 8-6
Veronika Golanova/Jana Kustkova (Illinois State) will play Luca Pump/Tanaporn Thongsing (Wichita State) in the Flight 2 Doubles finals Sunday.
Flights 3 Doubles
Phoebe Boeschen/Anelisse Torrico (Missouri State) def. Chanel Scudiero/Catherine Shulman (Illinois State), 8-7 (5)
Chanel Scudiero/Catherine Shulman will play Summer Schlotterback/Whitley Quan (Wichita State) for third place in the Flight 3 Doubles finals Sunday.
Flight 1 Singles
Marcia Tere-Apisah (Illinois State) def. Ema Turudija (Missouri State), 6-3, 6-2
Marcia Tere-Apisah will play Abby Stevens (Wichita State) in the Flight 1 Singles finals Sunday.
Flight 2 Singles
Adrienne Jensen (Drake) def. Veronika Golanova (Illinois State), 7-6, (7-5), 1-6, 6-4
Veronika Golanova will play Alejandra de Lasa (Bradley) for third place in the Flight 2 Singles finals Sunday.
Flight 4 Singles
Chanel Scudiero (Illinois State) def. Ekaterina Donetskova (Missouri State), 6-2, 6-1
Chanel Scudiero will play Luca Pump (Wichita State) in the Flight 4 Singles finals Sunday.
Flight 6 Singles
Catherine Shulman (Illinois State) def. Savanna Hunt (Northern Iowa), 6-1, 6-1
Flights 7 Singles
Valerija Gercar (Illinois State) def. Amber Zimmerman (Wichita State), 6-6, 6-0
Valerija Gercar will play Ashley Thai (Bradley) in the Flight 7 Singles finals Sunday.
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