DES MOINES, Iowa – Missouri State women's tennis dropped its penultimate match of the regular season, 5-2, to Drake on the road on Friday.
 
Sandra Lukacova and Raluca Puscas started the day with an early win in doubles. In the No. 2 match, the pair of Bears defeated Drake's Shiori Takeda and Elizabete Klavinska 6-4.
 
In singles, MoState fought hard in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches. Tuana Gunal and Billur Gonlusen pushed the Bears forward with a win each. Gunal defeated Drake's Jessica Popiol 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 1 spot. Gonlusen defeated Klavinska 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 2 match. It was the fourth conference singles win for both players.
 
Lukacova and Puscas both took their matches to third sets but were unable to secure the points they needed. Lukacova won the first set 6-2 but lost the following sets 6-4, 6-2 to Takeda. Puscas lost the first to 6-3 to Rusic, won the second by the same margin, then lost the third 6-2.
 
Missouri State will play its final match of the regular season at Northern Iowa at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 19.
   
Results
Missouri State (3-20, 2-5 MVC) – 2, Drake (5-14, 2-5 MVC) – 5
Doubles
1. Billur Gonlusen/Tuana Gunal (MOST) lost to Jessic Popiol/Jana Ruzic (DU) – 6-3
2. Sandra Lukacova/Raluca Puscas (MOST) defeated Shiori Takeda/Elizabete Klavinska (DU) – 6-4
3. Drake won by default
 
Order of Finish: 2, 1
 
Singles
1. Tuana Gunal (MOST) defeated Jessica Popiol (DU) – 6-3, 6-2
2. Billur Gonlusen (MOST) defeated Elizabete Klavinska (DU) – 6-2, 6-2
3. Sandra Lukacova (MOST) lost to Shiori Takeda (DU) – 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Raluca Puscas (MOST) lost to Jana Ruzic (DU) – 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
5. Lola Federski (MOST) lost to Tess Caldicott (DU) – 6-1, 6-1
6. Drake won by default
 
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1, 4, 3