FEBRUARY 11, 2012

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Rebounding after dropping the doubles point in its showdown with Milwaukee, the Drake women's tennis team rallied to post a 4-3 victory over the Panthers on Saturday (Feb. 11) to extend the Bulldogs' win streak to six straight.

The two sides split doubles decisions at the Nos. 1 and 2 positions before Milwaukee secured the deciding tally with an 8-3 triumph by Kelly Fritz and Kristin Kurer at No. 3 over senior Jessica Aguilera (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) and junior Ali Patterson (Overland Park, Kan.).

Drake had an opportunity to claim the doubles point, but the Panthers were able to score four unanswered points at the top position to force the winner-take-all match at No. 3.

In what Bulldog head coach Paul Thomson described as a war, singles play proved to be a slugfest between the two teams that went down to the wire to determine the winner.

Aguilera evened the affair at No. 3 getting Drake on the board with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Fitz.

Milwaukee promptly retook a 2-1 lead following Maddy Soule's 7-5, 6-3 win against sophomore Klavdija Rebol (Kranj, Slovenia) at the top position.

The Bulldogs answered by rolling off three-straight triumphs to secure the match.

Senior Amanda Aragon (Fort Collins, Colo.) began the rally downing Beth Ganser at No. 5, 7-5, 6-1 to even the affair at two.

Freshman Nell Boyd (Arlington Heights, Ill.) put Drake ahead to stay registering a 6-4, 7-5 win against Christina Colarossi at the No. 4 hole.

Patterson clinched the victory for the Bulldogs dispatching Kurer at No. 6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

"We played some of the best tennis I have seen us play," said Thomson.  "We showed unbelievable fight being down a player to earn the victory."

Drake played with match without junior Manca Krizman (Solkan, Slovenia), who awoke with discomfort in her neck and was held out of the contest as a precaution.

The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday (Feb. 18) hosting UMKC and Chicago State at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.  Match times are 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively.

DRAKE (7-1) DEF. MILWAUKEE (4-3), 4-3

FEBRUARY 11, 2012 • MILWAUKEE, WIS.

SINGLES

No. 1 Maddy Soule (UWM) def. Klavdija Rebol (DU), 7-5, 6-3

No. 2 Chelsea Bailey (UWM) def. Gabriela Demos (DU), 6-7 (9), 7-5, 10-1

No. 3 Jessica Aguilera (DU) def. Kelly Fritz (UWM), 6-3, 6-1

No. 4 Nell Boyd (DU) def. Christina Colarossi (UWM), 6-4, 7-5

No. 5 Amanda Aragon (DU) def. Beth Ganser (UWM), 7-5, 6-1

No. 6 Ali Patterson (DU) def. Kristin Kurer (UWM), 5-7, 6-1, 6-1

ORDER OF FINISH:  (3,1,5,4,6,2)

DOUBLES:

No. 1 Colarossi/Soule (UWM) def. Aragon/Boyd (DU), 8-4

No. 2 Demos/Rebol (DU) def. Bailey/Ganser (UWM), 8-3

No. 3 Fritz/Kurer (UWM) def. Aguilera/Patterson (DU), 8-3

ORDER OF FINISH:  (2,1,3)