BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Tied at 2-2 with the remaining three matches on the courts, it was either team's match Sunday between Illinois State and Drake at Bloomington Tennis & Turf. However, the Redbirds pulled out two three-set victories down the stretch and won the final three singles matches of the day to defeat the Bulldogs, 5-2, and secure at least a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title.
The regular-season championship is the second-straight for the Redbirds, who went undefeated in league play in 2019 and then won the MVC Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Redbirds' league season and tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ISU extends its win streak to six in a row heading into the final week of the regular season.
"It was a competitive match from start to finish and much closer than the 5-2 score would suggest," ISU head coach Maja Kovacek said. "We got off to a great start with doubles and three first-set wins in the first round of singles, but Drake came back with a couple of big wins and momentum turned their way. The bottom half of our lineup really came through for us yet again and raised their game when they needed to. The whole team showed so much heart and I'm so proud of them. We turn our focus to next weekend and know we will need to back up this win at Valparaiso to secure the top seed in the MVC Tournament."
Illinois State got off to a strong start in doubles action, sweeping the Bulldogs in all three matches. The No. 1 team of Tijana Zlatanovic and Tara Damnjanovic picked up a close 7-6 (3) win and the No. 2 duo of Penelope Abreu and Laura Fitzgerald defeated Drake's Kelsey Neville and Daria Walczak, 6-4. The No. 3 tandem of Jelena Karla Vujicic and Alicja Zduniak completed the sweep with a 6-3 victory as ISU took the early lead with the doubles point.
A 6-4, 6-3 win by Zlatanovic at the No. 1 singles spot then put the Redbirds up 2-0, but the Bulldogs battled back to win at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots to tie the match at 2-2. A gutsy win by Laura Arciniegas at the No. 4 spot, where she fought back for a three-set win, then gave the Redbirds a 3-2 advantage. Fitzgerald secured the ISU victory with a 7-5, 6-2 win on the No. 6 court, just moments before Abreu came from behind to win the final two sets in her match at the No. 5 spot to give the Redbirds a 5-2 win.
The Redbirds will wrap up the regular season next Saturday, April 17, at Valparaiso with first serve set for 1 p.m. ISU will then head to the 2021 MVC Team Championship hosted by Missouri State from April 23-25.
ILLINOIS STATE 5, DRAKE 2
Singles competition:
1. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) def. Liza Petushkova (DU) 6-4, 6-3
2. Daria Walczak (DU) def. Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
3. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Natalia Bravo (ILS) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
4. Laura Arciniegas (ILS) def. Maria Tatarnikova (DU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
5. Penelope Abreu (ILS) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
6. Laura Fitzgerald (ILS) def. Kelsey Neville (DU) 7-5, 6-2
Doubles competition:
1. Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) def. Liza Petushkova/Maria Tatarnikova (DU) 7-6
2. Penelope Abreu/Laura Fitzgerald (ILS) def. Kelsey Neville/Daria Walczak (DU) 6-4
3. Jelena Karla Vujicic/Alicja Zduniak (ILS) def. Darinka Stepan/Ines Stephani (DU) 6-3
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