RESULTS
CHICAGO – In its first match this season facing a ranked opponent, the Illinois State women's tennis team (7-3) fell to No. 53 DePaul, 7-0 Saturday afternoon at the Lakeshore Sport and Fitness Center.
"Although the score doesn't show it we competed very well today," head coach Maja Kovacek said. "Veronika and Jana had a good win at No. 2 doubles, and we had opportunities at No. 1 as well. It's the kind of match that will make us better regardless of the outcome."
Coming away with the lone doubles win, Redbird twosome Veronika Golanova and Jana Kustkova fought point-for-point in No. 2 doubles against DePaul's Patricia Lancranjan and Marina Cozac. Golanova and Kustkova came out on top winning, 7-5. Meanwhile in, in No. 1 doubles, Marcia Tere-Apisah and Kadi Ilves fell to Rebeca Mitrea and Yuliya Shupenia of DePaul, 6-3 and Sarah Paulson and Catherine Shulman suffered a defeat in No. 3 doubles to DePaul's Jarret Fisher and Zaina Sufi, 6-0.
In singles Saturday, the Redbirds competed in some tight matches; however, it was not enough to overcome the Blue Demons. Kustkova battled back and forth with Lancranjan of DePaul in No. 3 singles, but ultimately fell to Lancranja, 7-5, 7-6(2). In No. 1 singles, Golanova suffered a loss to Shupenia, 6-2, 6-2. Tere-Apisah battled against Cozac in No. 2 singles but came up short to losing, 6-2, 6-4. Ilves, Valerija Gercar and Shulman also fell to their respective opponents.
The Redbirds are gearing up for a trio of matches on the East Coast this week. Monday (March 7) ISU will be in Charleston, South Carolina, to face Charleston Southern at 1 p.m. CT. Tuesday (March 8) the Redbirds will then travel to Savannah, Georgia, to take on Savannah State at 12 p.m. CT. To round out the trip ISU will battle the College of Charleston at 2:30 p.m. CT in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. For updates on ISU women's tennis throughout the week, follow them on Twitter: @RedbirdWTEN.
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