Illini Top Indiana 4-3 for Second Straight Win

Women's Tennis April 3, 2011

Illini Top Indiana 4-3 for Second Straight Win

April 3, 2011

URBANA, Ill. - One day after edging Purdue, 4-3, the Illini women's tennis team (6-8, 3-1 Big Ten) was once again on the winning end of a 4-3 decision, as it defeated Indiana (10-8, 0-5) Sunday afternoon at Atkins Tennis Center. Illinois secured the doubles point for the second straight match and big wins in singles from junior Amy Allin and freshmen Allison Falkin and Misia Kedzierski propelled the Orange and Blue to victory.

"Our competitiveness was the key to winning these matches this weekend," head coach Michelle Dasso said. "I'm pretty impressed with our freshmen stepping up. (Allison) Falkin got it done in doubles and singles and then Misia (Kedzierski), whose been injured all year, has kind of been thrown back in and just her competitiveness and the way she stepped up and ripped some shots out there for a freshman was exceptional."

In doubles, the 20th-ranked tandem of Falkin and sophomore Rachael White claimed their team-best 13th win of the season with an 8-3 defeat of Leslie Hureau and Myriam Sopel, before senior Annie McCarthy and junior Chelcie Abajian clinched the point with an 8-3 victory of their own over Sophie Garre and Katya Zapadalova.

Falkin earned the first win of the day in singles, as she swiftly downed Sopel, 6-4, 6-3, for her 13th win of the year, which ranks second on the team. The Hoosiers struck back on courts two and four and an injury to Abajian on court three forced her to retire in the second set and put Indiana ahead 3-2.

Kedzierski and Allin continued to battle on their respective courts, as Kedzierski went up a break late in the third set and went on to knock off Garre, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, to collect her first win since January and evened the score at three. Allin took a 5-2 lead in the third set and served for the match, but Hureau fought back and won consecutive games to pull within one at 5-4. Allin again served for the win and was successful the second time around to record her team-high 18th win of the year and third straight.

Illinois will be back in action Wednesday for a just-added mid-week match against Illinois State at 3 p.m. at Atkins Tennis Center.

Match Results
Illinois 4, Indiana 3

Singles competition
1. Amy Allin (ILL) def. Leslie Hureau (IU) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
2. Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) def. #96 Rachael White (ILL) 6-2, 6-2
3. Charlotte Martin (IU) def. Chelcie Abajian (ILL) 7-5, 3-2, retired
4. Kayla Fujimoto (IU) def. Breanne Smutko (ILL) 7-5, 6-2
5. Allison Falkin (ILL) def. Myriam Sopel (IU) 6-4, 6-3
6. Misia Kedzierski (ILL) def. Sophie Garre (IU) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. #20 Rachael White/Allison Falkin (ILL) def. Leslie Hureau/Myriam Sopel (IU) 8-3
2. Kayla Fujimoto/Evgeniya Vertesheva (IU) def. Leigh Finnegan/Amy Allin (ILL) 8-2
3. Annie McCarthy/Chelcie Abajian (ILL) def. Sophie Garre/Katya Zapadalova (IU) 8-3