DEKALB, Ill. – The Drake University women's tennis team split a a pair of matches on the road this weekend. The Bulldogs (6-4) opened their weekend with a loss at DePaul (3/3) before picking up a win at Northern Illinois (3/4).
 
DePaul 5, Drake 2
The 67th-ranked Blue Demons of DePaul took care of Drake on Friday, March 3. DePaul picked up the doubles point after winning two matches, as the third was unfinished.
 
The Blues Demons also owned the singles competition as DePaul won all but two bouts. Ines Stephani picked up a score for the Bulldogs by defeating Yuliya Kizelbasheva in the no. 1 spot. Oriana Parkins-Godwin continued her solid spring with a win via retirement over DePaul's Greta Carbone in the no. 5 position.
 
"We fought hard and challenged DePaul to play their best tennis," head coach Breaunna Addison said on Friday, "and that's all you can ask. Although we didn't get the result we wanted, I think took some valuable lessons from the match that we will use to build upon through the season."
 
Drake 5, Northern Illinois 2
The Bulldogs bounced back with a 5-2 win in the weekend finale at Northern Illinois. Despite the Huskies earning the doubles points with wins by the duets of Nataly Ninova/Erika Dimitrev in the top spot and Isabella Righi/McKenna Chudy in the third position.
 
Stephani and Parkins-Godwin teamed up to take down Diana Lukyanova and Angelica Ross for Drake's lone doubles victory.
 
The Bulldogs turned it on in singles action with wins in five of six matches. Stephani earned her second win of the day with a three-set victory. Mille Haagensen, Elizabete Klavinska, Parkins-Godwin, and Jyun-Yi Lee all won their respective matches in straight sets.
 
"I'm proud of the way we bounced back after a tough loss vs DePaul," Addison added after Drake's win. "Despite losing the doubles point, we responded well in singles. Credit to Ines Stephani for staying tough and finding a way to battle back in her match. Things were looking a little dicey midway through the singles play, but her ability to even the match at 1 set all elevated the team, and really made the difference for us today. 
 
Drake will return home next weekend for a home matchup with Omaha on Friday, Mar. 10.
 
 
 
SINGLES vs. DEPAUL – ORDER OF FINISH (2, 1, 3, 6, 5, 4)

1. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Yuliya Kizelbasheva (DP) 6-3, 6-3
2. Hannah Smith (DP) def. Mille Haagensen (DU) 6-3, 6-3
3. Lenka Antonijevic (DP) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Valentina Martin (DP) def. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) 1-6, 6-4, 10-4
5. Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) def. Grerta Carbone (DP) by retirement.
6. Maddie Yergler (DP) def. Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) 6-3, 6-4

DOUBLES vs. DEPAUL – ORDER OF FINISH (1, 3)

1. Lenka Antonijevic/Yuliya Kizelbasheva (DP) def. Mille Haagensen/Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-2
2. Greta Carbone/Hannah Smith (DP) vs. Oriana Parkins-Godwin/Ines Stephani (DU) DNF
3. Valentina Martin/Maddie Yergler (DP) def. Elizabete Klavinska/Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) 6-4

SINGLES vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS – ORDER OF FINISH

1. Ines Stephani (DU) def. Diana Lukyanova (NIU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
2. Mille Haagensen (DU) def. Erika Dimitrev (NIU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Nataly Ninova (NIU) def. Darinka Stepan (DU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Elizabete Klavinska (DU) def. Angelica Ross (NIU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) def. Isabella Righi (NIU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) def. McKenna Chudy (NIU) 6-2, 6-1

 
DOUBLES vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS

1. Nataly Ninova/Erika Dimitrev (NIU) def. Mille Haagensen/Darinka Stepan (DU) 7-5
2. Ines Stephani/Oriana Parkins-Godwin (DU) def. Diana Lukyanova/Angelica Ross (NIU) 6-4
3. Isabella Righi/McKenna Chudy (NIU) def. Elizabete Klavinska/Jyun-Yi Lee (DU) 6-3