SPRINGFIELD – Mara Presot grabbed a win in the No. 4 flight as the Missouri State tennis team dropped a 6-1 contest to Valparaiso here Saturday afternoon at Cooper Tennis Complex.
 
"Today's match was a very tough one," Head Coach Randall Knox said. "Valpo came out with a lot of energy in doubles play and we couldn't match that. In singles competition, we were up in few courts and battled back in lines one and four to give us a chance of making a match out of it. At the end of the day, Valpo was the better team today."
 
Presot put the Bears on the board with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Demi Jhaveri (3-6, 7-6, 10-7).
 
MSU started singles play in a 2-0 deficit after being down a doubles pair and a player in the No. 6 spot. In the No. 1 flight, Julia Robinson battled Olivia Chezerwonka before falling in the third set (6-0, 5-7, 10-7). Sandra Lukacova also went the distance in the No. 5 match before she was defeated in three sets by Mia Bertino (6-7, 6-3, 10-4).
 
The Bears could not overcome the Beacons in doubles play as Sandra Lukacova and Kate Miley fell to Olivia and Claire Czerwonka in Flight No. 1 (6-1), while Mara Presot and Mary Houston were defeated by Amanda Tabanera and Tara Isabella Schoolcraft in the No. 2 spot (6-3).
 
 
MSU will play its final nonconference dual of the season when it travels to Oral Roberts on Wednesday, April 13. The mid-week match against the Golden Eagles will kick off at 3 p.m. in Tulsa, Okla.
 
"We will get ready for an out-of-conference match this Wednesday vs ORU and keep working hard," Knox added.
 
Results:
 
Singles competition:
1. Olivia Czerwonka (VALPO) def. Juliette Robinson (MSU) 6-0, 5-7, 10-7
2. Claire Czerwonka (VALPO) def. Mary Houston (MSU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Amanda Tabanera (VALPO) def. Kate Miley (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
4. Mara Presot (MSU) def. Demi Jhaveri (VALPO) 3-6, 7-6 (4-0), 10-7
5. Mia Bertino (VALPO) def. Sandra Lukacova (MSU) 6-7, 6-3, 10-4
6. Isabella Schoolcraft (VALPO) def. No player (MSU), by forfeit
 
Doubles competition:
1. Claire Czerwonka/Olivia Czerwonka (VALPO) def. Kate Miley/Sandra Lukacova (MSU) 6-1
2. Amanda Tabanera/Isabella Schoolcraft (VALPO) def. Mara Presot/Mary Houston (MSU) 6-3 3. Demi Jhaveri/Allison McConnell (VALPO) def. No player/No player (MSU), by forfeit