Jan. 23, 2009
Redbird Tennis Soars Over IUPUI, 7-0
NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women’s tennis team clinched a win in its season opener, shutting out IUPUI, 7-0. The
Redbirds gave up only five games in the match, winning each match in two sets.
Friday’s match marked the second consecutive shutout by the ‘Birds over the Jaguars. The Redbirds (1-0) topped the Jaguars (0-2), 6-0, in last year’s meeting.
In doubles actions, the Redbird duo of Franziska Steinhardt and Julia Zubkova bested IUPUI’s Vanessa Carna and Emily Holsapple, 8-0, in Flight 1. The Flight 2 doubles matchup was no different as Illinois State’s Tanja Hrovatic and Hannah Esker shutout Sondra Caputo and Karlee Rush (IUPUI), 8-0.
The Redbirds undefeated streak continued into singles play. Zubkova defeated Holsapple (IUPUI), 6-1, 6-0, in Flight 1 while Hrovatic bested Rush (IUPUI), 6-0, 6-0, in Flight 3. Esker followed Hrovatic’s lead and shutout Caputo (IUPUI), 6-0, 6-0.
The most exciting match of the night came in Flight 2 singles play as Natalia Lech battled IUPUI’s Carna. Lech dominated play in the first set, 6-0. The two players were neck-in-neck in the second set. However, Lech clinched the win with a service ace, winning 6-4.
“It was great to start the season with a win,” said head coach Chris Hoover. “We played really clean in doubles. It is unfortunate that IUPUI did not have enough players, but I am very pleased in the way we played against them.”
The Redbirds won the Flight 3 doubles and singles Flights 5 and 6 by default due to IUPUI only having four players.
The Redbirds will return to the court on Feb. 8, 2009, to face Illinois in Champaign, Ill.
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