Results
PEORIA, Ill. – Marcia Tere-Apisah and Jelena Karla Vujicic both went undefeated as the Illinois State women's tennis team combined to go 5-3 in singles play during day one of the season-opening Bradley Invitational Friday.
"I thought we competed well today," head coach Maja Kovacek said. "We had some tough and long matches, which is exactly what we need at this point in the fall season."
As ISU's lone senior, Tere-Apisah won both matches in the singles flight one white bracket. She defeated Bradley's Alejandra de Lasa 6-4, 7-5. Then, she went on to defeat Chicago State's Mariya Kostyuk 7-5, 6-1. Tere-Apisah will play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for the singles flight one white bracket championship against Northern Illinois' Raven Neely.
Playing in her first-ever collegiate tennis competition, Vujicic went undefeated in both of her matches as well. The freshman from Zagreb, Croatia, defeated Eastern Illinois' Srishti Slaria 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 and came from behind to defeat Bradley's Natalia Barbery 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-2.
"I'm really proud of Jelena and how she handled herself and battled in her first tournament as a Redbird," Kovacek said.
Vujicic will play Bradley's Malini Wijesinghe Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for the singles flight one red bracket championship.
Illinois State's Veronika Golanova was defeated by Eastern Illinois's Grace Summers 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 and was defeated due to a walkover. Golanova will play Chicago State's Leshia Gadacz, Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for the singles flight one red bracket consolation third place match.
Valerija Gercar won one of two matches. She defeated Bradley's Kathryn Adelman 6-0, 6-1 and was defeated by Western Illinois' Natalia Bravo 7-6(7), 7-5. Gercar will play Chicago State's Lorea Gamboa Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the singles flight three red bracket third place match.
Doubles play will begin Saturday.
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