DES MOINES, Iowa – The final weekend road trip of the season for Illinois State commenced on Friday, as the Redbird traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on the Drake Bulldogs. The match was close throughout, but the host Bulldogs (8-9, 3-1 MVC) took the early lead and never looked back as they defeated the Redbirds (14-6, 3-2 MVC) by a score of 4-3 at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
Drake took the early lead by winning the doubles point, thanks to wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. ISU's No. 2 tandem of Nicole Iosio and Nuria Sanz were able to pick up a 7-5 win over Drake's Kristina Tai and Elizabete Klavinska but it was not enough to turn the tide.
In singles action, Drake kept things going with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 spots to go up 3-1 in the match, before Sanz defeated Milana Dejanovic by a score of 6-4, 6-3 to pull the match closer at 3-2. However, a win at the No. 4 spot would clinch the match for Drake, before a win at the No. 3 spot by Vittoria Benedetti would bring the score to its final at 4-3 in favor of the Bulldogs.
The Redbirds are back in action tomorrow, when they head to Cedar Falls to compete against UNI with first serve set for 1 p.m.
FINAL SCORE: Drake (4), Illinois State (3)
Doubles:
No. 1 Maja Dodik/Jordane Dookie (DU) def. Lana Caculovic/Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) 6-1
No. 2 Nicole Iosio/Nuria Sanz (ILS) def. Kristina Tai/Elizabete Klavinska (DU) 7-5
No. 3 Milana Dejanovic/Shiori Takeda (DU) def. Vittoria Benedetti/Emma Lindh (ILS) 6-2
Singles:
No. 1 Maja Dodik (DU) def. Lana Caculovic (ILS) 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 Kristina Tai (DU) def. Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 Vittoria Benedetti (ILS) def. Shiori Takeda (DU) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
No. 4 Jordane Dookie (DU) def. Nicole Iosio (ILS) 7-5, 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Nuria Sanz (ILS) def. Milana Dejanovic (DU) 6-4, 6-3
No. 6 Emma Lindh (ILS) def. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) by retirement
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