OMAHA, NEB. - Playing an Illinois State squad for the second time in five days, the Drake women's tennis team fell to the Redbirds by an identical 4-2 score in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Friday (April 27).

After having dropped the doubles point in the team's match-up on Sunday (April 22) in Normal, Ill., the Redbirds rebounded to secure wins at the first and third doubles holes to claim the doubles point.

Sophomore Veronika Leszayova (Povazska Bystrica, Slovak Republic) wrapped a solid sophomore campaign with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Katri Miller at the No. 1 singles position.

Playing in her final match at Drake, junior Allison Wilkie (Omaha, Neb.) made the results a match to remember as she posted a 6-1, 6-3 triumph versus Matea Simovic at the sixth singles slot.

The Bulldogs had opportunities to secure the victory as the No. 4 tilt between Drake sophomore Zi Wang (Hebei Province, China) and Carolyne Parent went the distance before Illinois State escaped with a come-from-behind 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 victory.

The match concluded with the No. 5 singles tilt between sophomore Kari Sloboth (Omaha, Neb.) and Jeanelle Stines tied at both one set apiece and 4-4 in the deciding third set. Stine took the first set by a 6-4 score before Sloboth battled back to take the second frame, 7-5.

The match marked the conclusion of the campaign for the Bulldogs under first-year head coach Urska Juric and the matches of the careers of Drake student-athletes Wilkie and senior Eve Rusdianto (Surabaya, Indonesia).

Illinois State def. Drake, 4-2
April 27, 2007
Omaha, Neb.
Records: Drake (9-14), Illinois State (13-8)

Singles
No.1 Veronika Leszayova (DU) def. Katri Miller (ILLST), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
No. 2 Julia Zubkova (ILLST) def. Eveline Rusdianto (DU), 7-6, 7-5
No. 3 Veronica Parke-Bedard (ILLST) def. Irina Kalashnikova (DU), 6-4, 7-5
No. 4 Carolyne Parent (ILLST) def. Zi Wang (DU), 3-6, 7-6, 6-2
No. 5 Jeanelle Stines (ILLST) def. Kari Sloboth (DU), 6-4, 5-7, 4-4 unfinished
No. 6 Allison Wilkie (DU) def. Matea Simovic (ILLST), 6-1, 6-3

Doubles
No. 1 Miller/Parke-Bedard (ILLST) def. Leszayova/Wilkie (DU), 8-5
No. 2 Rusdianto/Kalashnikova (DU) def. Parent/Simovic (ILLST), 8-1
No. 3 Zubkova/Rozboril (ILLST) def. Sloboth/Sarah Plowman (DU), 8-4