SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University women's tennis team rallied for a 4-3 victory over top seeded Illinois State Saturday in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championships at the Cooper Tennis Complex.
 
No. 5 Drake (10-8) overcome dropping the doubles points for the second-straight day and Saturday rallied from a 3-1 deficit to Illinois State (17-7).
 
Kelsey Neville got the Bulldogs on the scoreboard with her 7-5, 6-3 win over Laura Fitzgerald in the No. 6 singles match. The Redbirds went up 3-1 with Tara Damnjanovic's win over Daria Walczak, 6-2, 6-4 in the No. 2 match. However, Ines Stephani started the comeback with her 7-5, 0-6, 6-1 win over Natalia Bravo in the No. 3 match.
 
After Darinka Stepan defeated Penelope Abreu 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 in the No. 5 match, it came down to the No. 4 match of Drake's Maria Tatarnikova and the Redbirds' Laura Arciniegas. It went to the third set as Tatarnikova sent the Bulldogs to their first MVC Championship final match since 2015 with her 2-6, 7-6, 7-5 win.
 
Drake will face No. 2 Stony Brook or No. 3 Missouri State Sunday at 10 a.m. The winner Sunday receives the MVC's automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
 
Drake vs Illinois State
4/24/2021 at Springfield, Mo.
(Cooper Tennis Complex)
 
Drake 4, Illinois State 3
Singles competition
1. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) def. Liza Petushkova (DU) 6-3, 6-3
2. Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) def. Daria Walczak (DU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Natalia Bravo (ILS) 7-5, 0-6, 6-1
4. Maria Tatarnikova (DU) def. Laura Arciniegas (ILS) 2-6, 7-6, 7-5
5. Darinka Stepan (DU) def. Penelope Abreu (ILS) 7-6, 2-6, 6-1
6. Kelsey Neville (DU) def. Laura Fitzgerald (ILS) 7-5, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. Liza Petushkova/Maria Tatarnikova (DU) def. Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic (ILS) 6-3
2. Laura Fitzgerald/Penelope Abreu (ILS) def. Kelsey Neville/Daria Walczak (DU) 7-5
3. Jelena Karla Vujicic/Alicja Zduniak (ILS) def. Darinka Stepan/Ines Stephani (DU) 6-4
 
Match Notes:
Drake 10-8
Illinois State 17-7
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,2,3,5,4)