WHAT'S AHEAD: In the
first of four matches to close its season, the Drake women's tennis team faces
road tests this week as the Bulldogs battle Southern Illinois and
Evansville. The showdown with the
Salukis is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (April 14) before Drake closes its
trip with a 10:00 a.m. showdown against the Purple Aces on Sunday (April 15).
GOING FOR WIN NO. 20:
Maintaining a 19-4 mark, the Bulldogs enter action this week seeking to garner
their 20th victory of the season.
If Drake is successful in its bid, it would mark the first time since
the 1992 campaign that the Bulldogs have reached the 20-win plateau. That season, Drake posted a 20-3
record.
A LOOK BACK: Drake
capped its home campaign with a 13-2 ledger after posting identical 6-1 wins
over Bradley and Illinois State last Friday (April 6) and Saturday (April 7),
respectively.
Playing in their
final home matches at Drake, seniors Jessica Aguilera (Santa Cruz, Bolivia), Amanda Aragon (Fort Collins, Colo.), Gabriela Demos (Chesterfield, Mo.) and Earlynn Lauer (Wichita, Kan.), along with junior Manca Krizman (Solkan, Slovenia) registered the Bulldogs' initial
win over the Redbirds since a 4-3 triumph on April 7, 2002, a span of 14
matches.
The Bulldogs seized
control of the match in doubles as the tandem of Aragon and freshman Nell Boyd (Arlington Heights, Ill.)
clinched the doubles tally with an 8-5 triumph at the No. 3 position.
In singles, Drake
exerted its momentum, winning three straight to secure the victory in the
affair.
The Bulldogs improved
to 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference following the Bulldogs' 6-1 victory
over Bradley at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
The Bulldogs swept
all three doubles contests on the evening, with the tandem Aguilera and
sophomore Klavdija Rebol (Kranj,
Slovenia) pulling in the deciding tally with an 8-3 decision at the No. 2 slot.
Krizman garnered her
24th-straight singles victory at No. 1, 6-0, 6-1. Demos extended Drake's lead to 3-0, besting Meredith
McDonagh on court No. 3, 6-1, 6-1.
Aragon clinched the
match in favor of the Bulldogs on the strength of a 6-1, 6-2 decision past
Cassia Wojtalik at the No. 4 position.
IN OUR LAST MEETINGS: The Bulldogs
registered a 5-2 decision past Evansville on April 16, 2011 at the Roger Knapp
Tennis Center.
Drake staked claim to the early advantage in the affair sweeping the
doubles competition.
In singles, Jessica Aguilera pushed
the margin to 2-0 in favor of the Bulldogs at No. 4, 6-2, 6-3.
The Purple Aces sliced the lead in half following their triumph at No. 1. Gabriela Demos swung the momentum back in favor of Drake, 3-1, collecting a 6-2,
6-2, victory at No. 2.
Evansville again responded by adding a point at the No. 6 slot to make
the score 3-2.
The Bulldogs appeared on the verge of clinching the match at No. 3 where
Rebol held a 6-5 advantage in the second set. Unfortunately, her opponent
rallied to even the set and win the tiebreaker, 8-6, to force a deciding third
frame.
Before the third set could begin Amanda Aragon turned in a critical rally of her own, overcoming a 4-1, second-set
deficit versus Carolyn Caire, with five unanswered tallies to clinch the
contest for the Bulldogs with a 7-6 (6), 6-4 victory.
Rebol, though, persevered through a back-and-forth third set to claim the
decision, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 10-8.
Drake assured itself of the Bulldogs' first winning campaign since 2006
with a 7-0 decision past Southern Illinois on April 17, 2011, at the Roger
Knapp Tennis Center.
With only five available players, the Salukis were behind the eight ball
from the start and Drake capitalized, clinching the doubles point.
Sealing the deciding tally in the match at the No. 3 slot was Klavdija Rebol, with a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
UP NEXT: Drake
closes the regular season with matches at Wichita State (April 21) and
Creighton (April 22).
