WICHITA, KAN. - In a battle for the Missouri Valley Conference regular season women's tennis championship, it was Wichita State (17-6, 6-0 MVC) registering a 4-3 victory past Drake on Saturday (April 19).
The Shockers won their 44th consecutive league contest on the strength of sweeping the doubles competition to assume a lead they didn't relinquish.
Wichita State opened singles play netting three straight triumphs at the Nos. 1, 2 and 6 positions, respectively, to capture the match-clinching tally.
The Bulldogs (14-5, 4-2 MVC) didn't go down without a fight as Drake collected a trio of three-set victories to account for the final 4-3 margin.
Junior Nell Boyd (Arlington Heights, Ill.) cut the deficit to 4-1 besting Abby Stevens on the No. 4 court, 3-6, 6-1, 10-8.
Recording Drake's second point in the affair was sophomore Maddie Johnson (Onalaska, Wis.), who edged Lucia Kovalova, 2-6, 6-4, 14-12.
Closing out the victory total for the Bulldogs at No. 5 with a 7-6 (4), 3-6, 11-9 triumph over Montse Blasco Fernandez was sophomore Jordan Eggleston (LaQuinta, Calif.).
Boyd, Eggleston and Johnson each capped perfect 6-0 singles marks in conference play with their victories against Wichita State.
Drake will now open the Missouri Valley Conference Championship next Friday (April 25) in Normal, Ill., as the No. 3 tournament seed. The league will announce complete pairings for the tournament shortly.
NO. 54 WICHITA STATE (17-6, 6-0 MVC) DEF. DRAKE (14-5, 4-2 MVC), 4-3
APRIL 19, 2014 • WICHITA, KAN.
SINGLES:
No. 1 Julia Schiller (WSU) def. Klavdija Rebol (DU), 7-5, 6-0
No. 2 Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSU) def. Mariel Ante (DU), 6-1, 6-1
No. 3 Maddie Johnson (DU) def. Lucia Kovalova (WSU), 2-6, 6-4, 14-12
No. 4 Nell Boyd (DU) def. Abby Stevens (WSU), 3-6, 6-1, 10-8
No. 5 Jordan Eggleston (DU) def. Montse Blasco Fernandez (WSU), 7-6, 3-6, 11-9
No. 6 Veronika Blaskova (WSU) def. Lea Kozulic (DU), 6-4, 6-0
Order of finish: 2,1,6,4,3,5
DOUBLES:
No. 1 Blaskova/Kovalova (WSU) def. Boyd/Eggleston (DU), 8-3
No. 2 Fernandez/Pedrazzi (WSU) def. Johnson/Kozulic (DU), 8-2
No. 3 Schiller/Stevens (WSU) def. Ante/Rebol (DU), 8-3
Order of finish: 1,3,2
