Redbirds Drop Dual Meet Opener At Purdue, 4-3

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Illinois State women's tennis team took Purdue to the limit in the dual-meet opener on Sunday, as the Redbirds took an early lead but the Boilermakers rallied to come away with the 4-3 at the Schwartz Tennis Center.

The Redbirds picked up the win in doubles, as Emma Lindh and Vittoria Benedetti defeated Ida Clement and Kayal Gownder via retirement. ISU then clinched the doubles point with a win at No. 1, as the duo of Lana Caculovic and Silvia Pomarolli picked up a 6-3 win over Ece Gencer and Fatima Gutierrez.

Purdue quickly tied things up with a win at No. 6 to knot the match at 1-1 and then took the lead with a win at the No. 4 spot to make it 2-1. They increased the lead to 3-1 with a win at No. 1, before the Redbirds cut into the lead at 3-2 after Nicole Iosio defeated Kayal Gownder 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. A win at No. 5 by Benedetti over Emmi Kolyszko by a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 would then tie the match at 3-3, but the Boilermakers secured the victory with a win at the No. 2 spot in three sets.

Illinois State is back in action next Friday, January 23, when it travels to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for a match with Western Michigan. First serve is set for 10:30 a.m. CT.

FINAL SCORE: Purdue (4), Illinois State 3

Doubles: 
No. 1 Lana Caculovic / Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) def. Ece Gencer / Fatima Gutierrez (PUR): 6-3
No. 2 Ashlie Wilson / Emmi Kolyszko (PUR) def. Nuria Sanz / Nicole Iosio (ILS) 7-5
No. 3 Emma Lindh / Vittoria Benedetti (ILS) def. Ida Clement / Kayal Gownder (Purdue): 2-2 (RET)

Singles:
No. 1 Ece Gencer (PUR) def. Lana Caculovic (ILS): 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 Fatima Gutierrez (PUR) def. Silvia Pomarolli (ILS): 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Nicole Iosio (ILS) def. Kayal Gownder (PUR): 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
No. 4 Kathryn Wilson (PUR) def. Nuria Sanz (ILS): 6-3, 6-1
No. 5 Vittoria Benedetti (ILS) def. Emmi Kolyszko (PUR): 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
No. 6 Ashlie Wilson (PUR) def. Emma Lindh (ILS): 5-0 (RET)

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