DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake women's tennis team sent out senior Klavdija Rebol (Kranj, Slovenia) a winner in her final home match as the Bulldogs (14-4, 4-1 MVC) notched a 6-1 victory past Illinois State (8-8, 1-3 MVC) on Sunday (April 13) at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center.
Drake opened doubles play collecting an 8-4 triumph from sophomores Mariel Ante (Riverside, Calif.) and Jordan Eggleston (LaQuinta, Calif.) over Carolina Abello and Sierra Stone on court No. 3.
Rebol and junior Nell Boyd (Arlington Heights, Ill.) followed suit clinching the doubles point for the Bulldogs downing Kadi Ilves and Heather Nisbet at the No. 2 position, 8-6.
The victory represented the 75th career doubles conquest for Rebol, a mark that moved her past Gabriela Demos and into second-place all-time at Drake in doubles wins.
Opening singles with her seventh consecutive singles victory, 6-2, 6-2, over Ilves at No. 5 was Eggleston.
Extending the Bulldogs' advantage to 3-0 on the No. 3 court was sophomore Maddie Johnson (Onalaska, Wis.), who bested Carolina Abello, 6-3, 6-2, to post her team-leading 29th singles win of the season.
Recording the match-clinching point with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph past Madeliene Baillon at the No. 4 slot was Boyd.
Closing out the victory total for Drake with wins at the Nos. 1 and 6 positions, respectively, was Rebol and sophomore Lea Kozulic (Varazdin, Croatia).
Kozulic netted a 6-0, 6-4 triumph versus Gabriella Phillips at No. 5.
In her final career home singles tilt, Rebol rallied to edge Phyllis Tigges on the top court, 6-3, 1-6, 10-5.
The Bulldogs close out their regular season slate traveling to Wichita State for a 10:00 a.m. tilt next Saturday (April 19). A victory over the 51st-rated Shockers would enable Drake to capture a share of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
DRAKE (14-4, 4-1 MVC) DEF. ILLINOIS STATE (8-8, 1-3 MVC), 6-1
APRIL 13, 2014 • ROGER KNAPP TENNIS CENTER
SINGLES:
No. 1 Klavdija Rebol (DU) def. Phyllis Tigges (ILST), 6-3, 1-6, 10-5
No. 2 Sierra Stone (ILST) def. Mariel Ante (DU), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 Maddie Johnson (DU) def. Carolina Abello (ILST), 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Nell Boyd (DU) def. Madeliene Baillon (ILST), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 Jordan Eggleston (DU) def. Kadi Ilves (ILST), 6-2, 6-2
No. 6 Lea Kozulic (DU) def. Gabriella Phillips (ILST), 6-0, 6-4
Order of finish: 5,3,4,6,1,2
DOUBLES:
No. 1 Baillon/Tigges (ILST) def. Johnson/Kozulic (DU), 8-7 (3)
No. 2 Boyd/Rebol (DU) def. Ilves/Heather Nisbet (ILST), 8-6
No. 3 Ante/Eggleston (DU) def. Abello/Stone (ILST), 8-4
Order of finish: 3,2,1
