After posting a 10-3 record in its non-conference schedule, the Indiana women's tennis team suffered a 5-2 loss to No. 21 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. on Saturday morning. It was Indiana's third consecutive loss to Purdue.
"This match was the same as our other two losses to top 22 teams," IU Coach Lin Loring said. "It came down to a handful of big points."
There was fierce competition for the doubles point. In the No. 2 match, Purdue's Lynda Xepoleas and Daniela Vidal defeated IU's pair of sophomores, Carolyn Chupa and Katie Klyczek, 8-3.
Indiana's other combination of sophomores, Alecia Kauss and Shannon Murdy, tied the doubles matches at one apiece with an 8-4 victory in the No. 3 position against Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum and Imogen Golder.
Purdue won the doubles point when Mara Schmidt and Krisztina Kapitany defeated the No. 44 pair of Leslie Hureau and Sophie Garre 9-8 (7-4) in the No. 1 match.
Loring said that the Hoosiers controlled the doubles point until the very end.
The Boilermakers extended their lead when Gisella Pere bested Murdy 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 6 singles match.
Indiana earned its first point of the match when Hureau topped Xepoleas 6-4, 6-2 in the No. 1 position.
With a 2-1 lead in the dual match, Purdue won the No. 3 and No. 2 matches in straight sets to secure the win. Vidal defeated Chupa 7-5, 6-4 and Schmidt knocked off Klyczek 6-4, 6-4.
Kauss took the first set from Bernard-Feigenbaum 6-4 but lost the next two sets 6-1 in the No. 4 singles match.
IU won its second point of the match when Garre came from behind to defeat Golder 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 at No. 5.
"Five of the singles matches were really tight," Loring said. "Yes it is frustrating to lose another tight match but we did play No. 21 extremely close on the road. Hopefully next time the big points go our way"
