Women’s tennis splits road matches
March 27, 2016
The Eastern women’s tennis team split its weekend road matches with a loss to Murray State Friday and a win against Austin Peay Saturday.
Eastern pushed its Ohio Valley Conference record to 3-1.The Panthers lost a late lead in the match with Murray State, and the Racers went on to win the match 4-3. The match against Austin Peay also ended 4-3, but it went the Panthers way this time around.
Senior Hannah Kimbrough and sophomore Grace Summers played at the No. 1 spot in doubles play teaming up to defeat Haily Morgan and Erin Patton 6-4. The duo of junior Kelly Iden and senior Ali Foster took down Megan Blue and Amina Hadzic 6-1 securing the all-important doubles point.The Racers got off to a quick start with Hadzic defeating Foster in the No. 2 spot 6-3, 6-2. But Summers and Kimbrough came in at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots respectively getting a pair of wins.Summers won by a score of 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 against Morgan. Kimbrough took the singles win by a score of 7-6, 6-1.Iden lost at the No. 1 spot, and junior Kamile Stadalninkaite lost at the No. 5 spot resulting in Murray State tying it up at 3-3.
The Racers clinched the match win with a singles win by Alina Schibol over freshman Srishti Slaria 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.The Panthers trailed 3-2 to the Governors of Austin Peay, but freshman Abby Carpenter won a close match 7-6, 7-6(5) to get the match tied up at 3-3.
Garcia Yanes of Austin Peay beat both Iden and Foster in their singles matches by scores of 6-2, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-0.
Summers took down her opponent Helena Kuppig 6-4, 6-0.
The Panthers were able to come away with two out of the three doubles matches. Summers and Kimbrough teamed up to take down Yanes and Kuppig at No. 1 doubles 6-4.
Stadalninkaite and Slaria teamed up at No. 3 doubles to defeat Hannah Tatlock and Isabela Jovanovic 6-3.
The Panthers will finally make it home for a match this Friday on the Darling Courts when they host Belmont in an OVC matchup.
Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or smhastings@eiu.edu.