NORMAL, Ill. – No. 54 Wichita State defeated Illinois State 4-0 on Saturday at the Gregory Street Tennis Courts in Normal during the 2014 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Team Championship. With the win, the Shockers improved to 18-6 on the year while the Redbirds dropped to 10-10. The Shockers will take on Drake in Sunday's MVC Team Championship Final.
Doubles play began with a Lucy Kovalova/Veronika Blaskova victory at No. 1 doubles. They defeated the team of Phyllis Tigges/Madeliene Baillon by a score of 8-3.
Montse Blasco Fernandez/Rebecca Pedrazzi (No. 9 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Central Doubles Rankings) clinched the doubles point and gave the Shockers the 1-0 lead when they won 8-3 against Emmie Marx/Sierra Stone.
Abby Stevens pushed the Shocker lead to 2-0 when she was first off the courts during singles play. She took down Stone 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
No. 54 Wichita State's lead improved to 3-0 over Illinois State after Blaskova won her singles match 6-3, 6-4 at No. 5 singles against Baillon at No. 5 singles.
Pedrazzi clinched the match and the 4-0 victory for the Shockers when she earned a 6-4, 6-3 win in her match against Marx at No. 2 singles.
Shocker head women's tennis coach Colin Foster believed his team responded well in front of host Illinois State's home crowd.
“Illinois State played well in front of a good home crowd,” Foster said. “We were tested at every position and responded well. We know we'll have another difficult test tomorrow but we're excited and ready for the opportunity.”
No. 54 Wichita State will take on Drake in the MVC Team Championship Final on Sunday at the Gregory Street Tennis Courts at 2 p.m. Live scoring will be available, and the results will be posted after the match is finished.
-WICHITA STATE-
#54 Wichita State 4, Illinois State 0
Singles competition
1. Phyllis Tigges (ILS) vs. Julia Schiller (WSUW) 6-2, 5-5, unfinished
2. Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSUW) def. Emmie Marx (ILS) 6-4, 6-3
3. Abby Stevens (WSUW) def. Sierra Stone (ILS) 6-3, 6-0
4. Carolina Abello (ILS) vs. Montse B. Fernandez (WSUW) 3-6, 5-5, unfinished
5. Veronika Blaskova (WSUW) def. Madeliene Baillon (ILS) 6-3, 6-4
6. Kadi Ilves (ILS) vs. S. Mahajaroenkul (WSUW) 6-0, 6-6, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Veronika Blaskova/Lucia Kovalova (WSUW) def. Phyllis Tigges/Madeliene Baillon (ILS) 8-3
2. Montse B. Fernandez/Rebecca Pedrazzi (WSUW) def. Sierra Stone/Emmie Marx (ILS) 8-3
3. Heather Nisbet/Kadi Ilves (ILS) vs. Julia Schiller/Abby Stevens (WSUW) 2-7, unfinished
Match Notes:
Wichita State 18-6 (6-0 MVC); National ranking #54
Illinois State 10-10 (2-4 MVC)
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,5,2)
