March 20, 2000
WESTWOOD, Calif. -- The Illini women netters ended their two-month road tour with a loss, falling 7-2 to No. 7 UCLA on Friday.
Illinois, now 5-9 on the year, got its wins from freshmen Natascha Loebnitz and Michelle Webb. Loebnitz downed Elizabeth Schmidt 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 and playing No. 6, Webb picked up the 6-3, 6-4 victory over Petrya Marinova. Fellow freshman Eldina Fazlic lost a tough three-setter, falling 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to No. 91 Annica Cooper at the No. 2 position. Senior Megan Wise had a chance in her match at No. 5 against Catherine Hawley, going up 6-4 and 5-4 in the second set. Wise lost the second 7-5 and was dropped in the third set 6-1. Junior Simone Kung was bested at No. 1 by 43rd-ranked Amanada Basica 6-2, 6-4 and sophomore Brooke Ferney lost 6-2, 6-2 to Abigail Spears at No. 3.
The Illini were blanked in doubles. At No. 2, Kung and Webb battled before falling to Schmidt and Spears 8-5. Ferney and Loebnitz lost at No. 1 to Basica and Cooper 8-1 and Fazlic and junior Carla Rosenberg went down 8-2 to Hawley and Marinova.
"We had our chances, but we could not grind this one out today," Assistant coach JoAnne Russell said.
Illinois returns to action March 25, hosting Purdue at noon.
| 1. Amanda Basica def. Simone Kung | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 2. Annica Cooper def. Eldina Fazlic | 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 |
| 3. Abigail Spears def. Brooke Ferney | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 4. Natascha Loebnitz def. Elizabeth Schmidt | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 5. Catherine Hawley def. Megan Wise | 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 6. Michelle Webb def. Petrya Marinova | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1. Basica/Cooper def. Ferney/Loebnitz | 8-1 |
| 2. Schmidt/Spears def. Kung/Webb | 8-5 |
| 3. Hawley/Marinova def. Fazlic/Carla Rosenberg | 8-2 |
