PEORIA, Ill. – The Drake University women's tennis team (9-7) toured central Illinois this weekend for back-to-back matches at rivals Illinois State (10-6) and Bradley (7-9). The Bulldogs dropped the weekend's first tilt against the Redbirds before bouncing back with a victory over the Braves.
 
Illinois State 5, Drake 2
The weekend's action started yesterday when the Redbirds outlasted Drake by a 5-2 margin. Illinois State was able to pick up the doubles point after winning two of the three matches. Drake's duo of Darinka Stepan and Mille Haagensen earned the Bulldogs' lone tandem win over the Redbirds with a 6-3 victory over Tijana Zlatanovic and Tara Damnjanovic.
 
In singles play versus the Redbirds, Ines Stephani earned a 6-3, 7-5 win over Zlatanovic in the top spot while Oriana Parkins-Godwin continued her solid spring with a victory over Silvia Pomarolli in the fifth position.
 
"We anticipated a tough match [against Illinois State]," Drake head coach Breaunna Addison said, "but to their credit, [Illinois State] came out hungry, applied pressure from the first point, and never let up."
 
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs faced an immediate bounce-back opportunity with a visit to Peoria and a meeting with Bradley the following day.
 
Drake 5, Bradley 2
The Bulldogs were able to flip the script in the weekend finale, completing a 5-2 triumph of their own over the Braves.
 
Stephani collected another No. 1 singles win, this time over the Braves' Anna Belogliadova. Haagensen also notched a single victory in the No. 2 spot with a 6-3, 6-3, defeat of Mariia Pukhina.
 
The bottom third of Drake's lineup also saw some success as Parkins-Godwin and Jyun-Yi Lee earned wins in the No. 5 and No. 6 respective positions.
 
Parkins-Godwin and Stephani also teamed up for a win in doubles action while Elizabete Klavinska and Rebecca Ehn sealed the doubles point with a victory of their own.
 
"It's always great to notch a conference win," Addison added, "especially after the tough loss to Illinois State. We are excited to return home and keep the positive momentum flowing for our last big push of regular season play."
 
The Bulldogs will host Missouri State and Valparaiso next weekend, on Apr. 1 and Apr. 2, respectively. Both matches will get underway at 11 a.m. at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in Des Moines.
 
 
SINGLES VS. ILLINOIS STATE (ORDER OF FINISH – 3, 1, 2, 6, 4, 5)

1. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILST) 6-3, 7-5
2. Alexandra Abyasova (ILST) def. Mille Haagensen (DU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Nevena Kolarevic (ILST) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Tara Damnjanovic (ILST) def. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) 7-6, 6-2
5. Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) def. Silvia Pomarolli (ILST) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
6. Elena Jankulovska (ILST) def. Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) 6-1, 6-3

 
DOUBLES VS. ILLINOIS STATE (ORDER OF FINISH- 3, 1, 2)

1. Darinka Stepan/Mille Haagensen (DU) def. Tijana Zlatanovic/Tara Damnjanovic (ILST) 6-3
2. Alexandra Abyasova/Silvia Pomarolli (ILST) def. Ines Stephani/Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) 6-4
3. Nevena Kolarevic/Elena Jankulovska (ILST) def. Elizabete Klavinska/Rebecca Ehn (DU) 6-2

SINGLES VS. BRADLEY (ORDER OF FINISH- 2, 4, 1, 3, 5, 6)

1. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Anna Belogliadova (BRAD) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1
2. Mille Haagensen (DU) def. Mariia Pukhina (BRAD) 6-3, 6-3
3. Kirstin Hailey (BRAD) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Maria Bezmenova (BRAD) def. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) 6-3, 7-5
5. Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) def. Madalena Andrade (BRAD) 6-3, 6-3
6. Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) def. Alexandra Hildreth (BRAD) 6-1, 6-4

DOUBLES VS. BRADLEY (ORDER OF FINISH- 3, 2, 1)

1. Madalena Andrade/Kirstin Hailey (BRAD) def. Darinka Stepan/Mille Haagensen (DU) 6-4
2. Oriana Parkins-Godwin/Ines Stephani (DU) def. Maria Bezemenova/Anna Belogliadova (BRAD) 6-4
3. Elizabete Klavinska/Rebecca Ehn (DU) def. Mariia Pukhina/Alexandra Hildreth (BRAD) 6-3