DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's tennis team cruised past Western Illinois, 5-2, Friday evening at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
 
"I'm really happy in the way we played. We had last weekend off so we had to get back into match mode and Western Illinois gave us a fight. We came out strong in doubles and then our top of the lineup took care of business today," said Drake head coach Mai-Ly Tran.
 
The Bulldogs (7-1) wasted little time to jump out to a 1-0 lead. Summer Brills and Kenya Williams rolled to a 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles, while Tess Herder and Liza Petuskova clinched the doubles point with a 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles.
 
The Leathernecks tied it up 1-1 with a win at No. 6 singles.
 
Petushkova put the Bulldogs back on top with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Cary Milanes at No. 3 singles.
 
Brills extended the Bulldogs lead to 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles. Williams clinched the match with her 6-1, 6-2 win over Maria Bessmertnaya at No. 4. A minute later, Herder won her match 6-2, 6-4 to give Drake its final point.
 
The Bulldogs wrap up their weekend on Sunday as they host Colorado State on Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
Drake 5, Western Illinois 2
Feb 23, 2018 at Des Moines, Iowa (Roger Knapp Tennis Center) 

Singles competition

1. Brills, Summer (DU) def. Bravo,Natalia (WIU) 6-2, 6-4

2. Herder, Tess (DU) def. Lubbers,Courtney (WIU) 6-2, 6-4

3. Petushkova, Liza (DU) def. Milanes,Cary (WIU) 6-4, 6-1

4. Williams, Kenya (DU) def. Bessmertnaya,Maria (WIU) 6-1, 6-2

5. Bjelica,Ana (WIU) def. Kozlowski, Alex (DU) 6-0, 6-3

6. Bjelica,Mary (WIU) def. Jaglarz, Mela (DU) 6-1, 6-1

 

Doubles competition

1. Herder, Tess/Petushkova, Liza (DU) def. Lubbers,Courtney/Bravo,Natalia (WIU) 6-0

2. Brills, Summer/Williams, Kenya (DU) def. Bessmertnaya,Maria/Milanes,Cary (WIU) 6-1

3. Jaglarz, Mela/Kozlowski, Alex (DU) def. Bjelica,Ana/Bjelica,Mary (WIU) 3-2

 

Match Notes

Western Illinois 3-4

Drake 7-1

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (6,3,1,4,2,5)