For the first time since 2003, the Wisconsin women’s tennis team (2-7 Big Ten, 11-10 overall) outlasted No. 47 Indiana (4-5, 15-8) by a score of 5-2 Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
The upset victory puts an end to the Badgers’ five-match losing streak and also pushed their record above the .500 mark in overall competition.
“I think we outfought [Indiana] today,” head coach Brian Fleishman said. “I think we competed better than they did, and I think that was the difference in the match.”
In No. 1 doubles action, senior Alaina Trgovich and sophomore Nicky Stracar defeated Indiana’s sophomore Sophie Garre and freshman Katie Klyczek 8-5. Wisconsin fell however in No. 2 doubles 8-6, as junior Hannah Berner and freshman Nova Patel were dropped by Indiana senior Evgeniya Vertesheva and sophomore Kayla Fujimoto.
Freshman Sarah Loebel and senior Angela Chupa beat the Hoosiers’ junior Leslie Hureau and freshman Shannon Murdy 8-6 to finalize the doubles point for Wisconsin.
However, Indiana responded by claiming the first two singles matches to go up 2-1.
Stracar fell 6-2, 6-1 to Vertesheva at No. 2 singles, while Patel was defeated by Murdy 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5.
Despite the setback at the beginning of singles play, Wisconsin rattled off victories in the three remaining matches.
Trgovich came out victorious over No. 65 Hureau 6-5, 1-6, 6-2 at court one and Berner sealed the Wisconsin victory by defeating Klyczek in back-and-forth fashion, winning 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
“My teammates really cheered me on and believed in me,” Berner said. “I just stayed calm and worked point-by-point and pulled it through.”
Loebel closed things out for the day by winning her third-straight victory in the No. 4 slot, beating Alecia Kauss 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Next weekend is the last weekend of play for the Badgers before traveling to Columbus, Ohio for the Big Ten Championships.
Wisconsin is on the road at Iowa Friday with a schedule noon start time. The team returns to the Nielsen Tennis Stadium Sunday for their final home match of the season against Nebraska.
UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
