Results
DANVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois State women's tennis team edged Eastern Illinois, 4-3, Sunday afternoon.
The Redbirds are now 5-5 and have won their last two matches.
"I am really proud of the effort today," Illinois State head coach Maja Kovacek said. "We talked a lot about performing well in doubles, in all three spots, and we did that today.
"We were down 2-3 in singles with Valerija Gercar and Andrea Beneroso left on the courts, and again, those two stayed focused and confident and came through for the team."
In doubles competition, the Redbirds won two-out-of-three matches to claim the doubles point. No.1 partners Marcia Tere-Apisah and Jelena Karla Vujicic defeated Stella Cliffe and Kelly Iden, 6-1. Jana Kustkova and Gabriela Sprague also defeated their opponents Emily Pugachevsky and Srishti Slaria, 7-6 (12-10). Beneroso and Gercar fell to Grace Summers and Kamile Stadalninkaite, 6-4.
In singles play, Illinois State went 3-3. Tere-Apisah defeated Iden, 6-3, 7-6(3-1). Vujicic fell to Summers after two hard-fought sets, 7-5, 7-5. Kustkova also lost to Cliffe, 6-2, 6-3. Sprague fell short to Slaria after playing a drawn-out tiebreaker, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(6-4). Gercar was victorious over Maria Moshteva, 6-3, 6-3. Beneroso came out on top after two sets against Stadalninkaite, 7-5, 6-4.
Next up, the Redbirds will take on Houston in Lincoln, Nebraska, March 4, at 4 p.m.
Illinois State still has nine road matches before they play at home again and seven matches before beginning Missouri Valley Conference play.
For live updates and more, follow Redbird Women's Tennis on Twitter: @RedbirdWTEN.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
###
