Team wins two straight over weekend
The Eastern women’s tennis team has now won two straight matches. Its first win came against the Bradley University Braves Friday. The Panthers won the match 5-2.
The Panthers then faced Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis Sunday. The Panthers also beat IUPUI with the same score, 5-2.
Four women won their sets against the Braves. Freshman Janelle Prisner, junior Shannon Brooks, junior Amanda Dibbs and junior Annie Egan all won their matches.
Prisner started off poorly losing her first set 4-6, but then kicked it back into gear winning her next two sets 6-4, 6-1.
Brooks won both her sets in convincingly; 6-3, 6-2.
Dibbs performed well, winning both of her sets 6-1. Egan dominated winning both her sets 6-0.
Two doubles teams won their matches against the Braves. Sophomore Merritt Whitley and senior Cara Huck won their match convincingly with a score of 8-2.
The other team to win their match was freshman Jennifer Kim and Brooks. Kim and Brooks won their match 8-1.
The Panthers next match was against IUPUI, four women tennis players also won their singles matches. Whitley, Kim, Brooks and Dibbs won their singles matches against the Jaguars.
Whitley made quick work of her opponent winning her sets 6-1, 6-3.
Kim won the longest match of the day. She won the first set 7-5; however, she lost her second set 2-6. Her third set went into a tiebreaker, where Kim would win 10-6 giving her an important point for the team.
Brooks performed well winning her match 6-2, 6-1. Dibbs won her sets 6-2, 6-4.
All three doubles teams won their matches against IUPUI. The team of Whitley and Huck won their match 8-0. Prisner and Dibbs won their match 8-0. Kim and Brooks won a tough match in a tiebreaker with a score of 8-7.
As for right now, the Panthers are 4-3, 3-3 away, and 1-0 on neutral courts.
They will return home for their next match against Chicago State this Thursday at Rex Darling Courts. Match time is set for noon.
Grant Truccano can be reached at 581-7942 or gatruccano@eiu.edu
Team wins two straight over weekend
Sophomore Merritt Whitley prepares to hit a backhand during a tennis match against Austin Peay April 11. Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams will compete against Chicago State Thursday at home on the Rex Darling Courts. (Danny Damiani
