DES MOINES, Iowa – No. 2 seed Illinois State swept I-74 rival No. 3 seed Bradley by a score of 4-0 on Saturday afternoon at the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Tennis Championship to advance to the title match on Sunday at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center against No. 1 seed Drake.
"I'm really proud of the team. They raised their level to what it needed to be today," ISU head coach Maja Kovacek said. "I thought Bradley came out and played really well. We were dialed in from the start and were able to get four first sets, that was really important."
The Redbirds took the early advantage by winning the doubles point. The No. 2 team of Penelope Abreu and Maria Potsi cruised to a 6-2 win over Bradley's Bozana Lojpur and Nikki Perlwitz to put ISU in the driver's seat. A 6-2 win by the No. 3 tandem of Laura Fitzgerald and Alexandra Abyasova over Bradley's Nina Marjanovic and Maria Bezmenova then clinched the first point of the match for the Redbirds as play went unfinished on court No. 1 with the score tied at 5-5.
Potsi then gave the Redbirds their second point of the match with her 6-4, 6-1 win at the No. 3 spot of over Madalena Andrade. A 6-2, 6-4 win by Abreu at No. 5 over Marjanovic then made the score 3-0 in favor of the Redbirds and shortly after, Tara Damnjanovic closed out the match with a 6-4, 6-4 win at the No. 4 spot over Bezmenova to secure the 4-0 sweep of the Braves.
First serve between the Redbirds and Bulldogs is set for 10 a.m. Sunday morning to decide the championship.
Final Results: No. 2 Illinois State (4), No. 3 Bradley (0)
Singles competition
1. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) vs. Bozana Lojpur (BRAD) 6-4, 5-4 unfinished
2. Kirstin Hailey (BRAD) vs. Alexandra Abyasova (ILS) 7-6 (9-7) unfinished
3. Maria Potsi (ILS) def. Madalena Andrade (BRAD) 6-4, 6-1
4. Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) def. Maria Bezmenova (BRAD) 6-4, 6-4
5. Penelope Abreu (ILS) def. Nina Marjanovic (BRAD) 6-2, 6-4
6. Nikki Perlwitz (BRAD) vs. Elena Jankulovska (ILS) 6-2, 6-5 unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) vs. Madalena Andrade/Kirstin Hailey (BRAD) 5-5 unfinished
2. Penelope Abreu/Maria Potsi (ILS) def. Bozana Lojpur/Nikki Perlwitz (BRAD) 6-2
3. Laura Fitzgerald/Alexandra Abyasova (ILS) def. Nina Marjanovic/Maria Bezmenova (BRAD) 6-2
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