URBANA, Ill. – The Illinois women's tennis team went 1-1 on Sunday, falling to Notre Dame, 4-3, before earning a 7-0 victory over Eastern Illinois. The Fighting Illini move to 3-5 on the season, while Notre Dame improves to 4-1 and Eastern Illinois falls to 5-1.

"The Notre Dame match was a heartbreaker," said head coach Evan Clark. "With six three-setters, it was tough coming back from that. Really disappointed for the girls, but they competed really, really hard. I'm proud of their effort. The girls did a great job of bouncing back against Eastern Illinois."

Illinois won both doubles points on the day, and started off 2-0 against Notre Dame. The 32nd-ranked duo of Brooke Broda and Monica Robinson won the match at No. 1 doubles over Louise Kwong and Ines Vias, 6-4. Madie Baillon and Jaclyn Switkes defeated Notre Dame's Mary Closs and Allison Miller, 7-5 at the No. 2 spot, and the Illini clinched the doubles point when Alexis Casati and Daniela Pedraza Novak topped Jane Fennelly and Bess Waldram of the Fighting Irish, 7-6 (2) at No. 3 doubles.

Switkes won the first point in singles play, with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over Waldram at the No. 4 position. Notre Dame's Broda put the Fighting Irish on the board with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-2 win at No. 2 singles over Casati. At No. 1 singles, Kwong fell to Robinson, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. Pedraza Novak was defeated by Zoe Spence of the Fighting Irish, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-2 at the No. 5 position. Notre Dame's Miller clinched the match with a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4 win at the No. 3 spot over Baillon.

Grace Tapak won at No. 6 singles over Fennelly, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, to make the final score 4-3.

In the second match of the day, the Illini started strong and never looked back.

"It's not an easy thing to come back from, you just had a really disappointing loss to one of your rivals, 4-3," Clark said. "I was proud of their effort and their resiliency. I thought they did a great job."

Kwong and Vias won at No. 1 doubles over Stella Cliffe and Kelly Iden, 6-1. Jade Hilton and Jerricka Boone secured the doubles point for Illinois with a 6-2 win over Kamile Stadalninkaite and Grace Summers at the No. 3 position. The No. 2 doubles match between Casati and Pedraza Novak and Eastern Illinois' Emily Pugachevsky and Srishti Slaria remained unfinished at 4-4.

In singles play, Pedraza Novak struck first for Illinois, earning a 6-0, 6-2 win at the No. 4 spot over Slaria. Tapak followed quickly with a win at No. 5 singles, defeating Maria Moshteva, 6-2, 6-0. The Illini clinched the match when Hilton earned a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles over Pugachevsky.

"I thought singles was good," Clark said. "I was really proud of Louise, Ines and Jaclyn to finish off. After the match has been decided, there is not a lot out there for them to play for. It tells me a lot about their character and for them to finish the match and to win all three matches."

At the No. 3 position, Vias earned a 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over Cliffe. Kwong defeated Iden, 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (1) at No. 1 singles, and Switkes won at the No. 2 spot over Summers, 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (11).

"We are 3-5 and we are playing a really, really tough schedule," Clark said. "We've just come up short in three or four matches that could have gone either way. I'll keep preaching to the girls that they are doing the right things. If they stay with it and keep working hard good things are going to happen.

UP NEXT
The Illini will have a week before they are back in action. The Orange and Blue will head to Northwestern for the first Big Ten match of the season on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. CT.

Notre Dame 4, Illinois 3
DOUBLES
1. #32 Brooke Broda/Monica Robinson (ND) def. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) 6-4
2. Madie Baillon/Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) def. Mary Closs/Allison Miller (ND) 7-5
3. Alexis Casati/Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) def. Jane Fennelly/Bess Waldram (ND) 7-6 (7-2)

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

SINGLES
1. Monica Robinson (ND) def. Louise Kwong (ILL) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
2. Brooke Broda (ND) def. Alexis Casati (ILL) 6-0, 3-6, 6-2
3. Allison Miller (ND) def. #97 Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4
4. Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) def. Bess Waldram (ND) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
5. Zoe Spence (ND) def. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 7-6 (9-7), 3-6, 6-2
6. Grace Tapak (ILL) def. Jane Fennelly (ND) 1-6, 7-5, 6-2

Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 5, 3, 6

Illinois 7, Eastern Illinois 0
DOUBLES
1. Louise Kwong/Ines Vias (ILL) def. CLIFFE, Stella/IDEN, Kelly (EIUW) 6-1
2. Alexis Casati/Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) vs. PUGACHEVSKY, Emily/SLARIA, Srishti (EIUW) 4-4, unfinished
3. Jade Hilton/Jerricka Boone (ILL) def. STADALNINKAITE, K./SUMMERS, Grace (EIUW) 6-2

Order of finish: 1, 3

SINGLES
1. Louise Kwong (ILL) def. IDEN, Kelly (EIUW) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-1)
2. Jaclyn Switkes (ILL) def. SUMMERS, Grace (EIUW) 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (13-11)
3. Ines Vias (ILL) def. CLIFFE, Stella (EIUW) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
4. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) def. SLARIA, Srishti (EIUW) 6-0, 6-2
5. Grace Tapak (ILL) def. MOSHTEVA, Maria (EIUW) 6-2, 6-0
6. Jade Hilton (ILL) def. PUGACHEVSKY, Emily (EIUW) 6-1, 6-3

Order of finish: 4, 5, 6, 3, 1, 2