Match Results (PDF)
PEKIN, Ill. – The Missouri State women's tennis team opened Missouri Valley Conference play here Saturday afternoon, dropping a hard-fought (5-2) match to Bradley.
The match continued the Bears' long road stretch as the team's sixth-straight dual away from the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield.
The Bears and the Braves began the day in doubles play, with MSU splitting the pair of played matches. In Flight No. 2, Sandra Lukacova and Kate Miley came out on top, defeating Bradley's Bozana Lojpur and Nikki Perlqitz, 6-4. In Flight No. 1, Mara Presot and Tiera Jarmond fell 7-5 to Madalena Andrade and Nina Marjanovic, giving the Braves the doubles point with the Bears' absence of a pair in Flight No. 3.
"Today's match had a lot of ups and downs," said head coach Randall Knox. "The energy in doubles was unbelievable, we won in line two and we were one break up on line one, with opportunities to extend the lead and get the win. But we couldn't finish it."
Down a player in the No. 6 singles spot as well, the Bears started out singles competition in a 2-0 hole. Still, the Bears went the distance, giving the Braves a fight in every flight. Playing in No. 2 singles, Mary Houston defeated Bradley's Andrade in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win to give the Bears their first point of the day. In No. 4 singles, Miley also earned a win for MSU, in a 6-3, 3-6, 10-7 defeat of Marjanovic. The come-from-behind rally fell short for the Bears, though, as Lukacova dropped a close 6-4, 7-5 match in Flight No. 3.
"We need to control our emotions and keep them consistent in order to close out these matches," finished Knox.
MSU (0-12, 0-1 MVC) continues its conference slate Sunday morning as the Bears face off against Illinois State in Normal, Ill. with an 11 a.m. first serve.
Results:
Singles competition:
1. Bozana Lojpur (BRAD) def. Juliette Robinson (MSU) 6-2, 6-0
2. Mary Houston (MSU) def. Madalena Andrade (BRAD) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
3. Maria Bezmenova (BRAD) def. Sandra Lukacova (MSU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Kate Miley (MSU) def. Nina Marjanovic (BRAD) 6-3, 3-6, 10-7
5. Nikki Perlwitz (BRAD) def. Mara Presot (MSU) 6-3, 6-4
6. Juliana Martinez (BRAD) def. No player (MSU), by default
Order of finish: 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Doubles competition:
1. Madalena Andrade/Nina Marjanovic (BRAD) def. Mara Presot/Tiera Jarmond (MSU) 7-5
2. Sandra Lukacova/Kate Miley (MSU) def. Bozana Lojpur/Nikki Perlwitz (BRAD) 6-4
3. Maria Bezmenova/Juliana Martinez (BRAD) def. No player/No player (MSU), by default
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
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