Feb. 13, 2011

Box Score

URBANA, Ill. - In its only action of the week, the No. 29 Illini women's tennis team (2-5) dropped a tough 5-2 match to No. 26 South Carolina (5-1) Sunday afternoon at Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois captured the doubles point and claimed the first set in four of six matches, but the Gamecocks were able to rally back to pull off the win.

"South Carolina beat us today because they were better competitors," head coach Michelle Dasso said. "We let a great opportunity slip away from us and it's very unfortunate. We are all very disappointed."

Fifteenth-ranked sophomore Rachael White and freshman Allison Falkin won their team-best 11th match of the year and third straight, while senior Leigh Finnegan and junior Amy Allin also collected their third straight win to secure the doubles point for the Illini. Finnegan recorded the squad's only singles win on the day in her dual-season singles debut, as she swept Miljana Jocic, 6-4, 6-1.

Illinois will be off until next month when it travels to Penn State for its Big Ten opener on March 4.

Match Results
#26 South Carolina 5, #29 Illinois 2

Singles competition
1. #37 Anya Morgina (SC) def. #100 Rachael White (ILL) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
2. #93 Dijana Stojic (SC) def. Breanne Smutko (ILL) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
3. M. Saari-Bystrom (SC) def. Amy Allin (ILL) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
4. #117 Katerina Popova (SC) def. Chelcie Abajian (ILL) 7-5, 7-6 (11-9)
5. Dominika Kanakova (SC) def. Allison Falkin (ILL) 6-1, 6-4
6. Leigh Finnegan (ILL) def. Miljana Jocic (SC) 6-4, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. #15 Rachael White/Allison Falkin (ILL) def. Dijana Stojic/Dominika Kanakova (SC) 8-5
2. M. Saari-Bystrom/Josefin Andersson (SC) def. Chelcie Abajian/Breanne Smutko (ILL) 8-6
3. Leigh Finnegan/Amy Allin (ILL) def. Anya Morgina/Katerina Popova (SC) 8-4

Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,6,1,4,2,3)