The Wisconsin Badgers (0-8 Big Ten, 4-13 overall) fought a rough battle in their last matchup at home this season against the Purdue Boilermakers (1-7 Big Ten, 5-13), losing 5-2 Sunday on Senior Day.
In the doubles matchups, UW senior Maria Avgerinos and freshman Melissa Pick were unable to muster up a comeback, losing 6-1 to Rafaella Baquerizo and Andjela Djokovic. But then, sophomore Kelsey Grambeau and freshman Christina Zordani took down Purdue’s Deborah Suarez and Caitlin Calkins, 6-3, giving them a 5-2 record as double partners. Tied for a chance to win the doubles matchup, the pressure in court three was on freshman Michelle Linden and senior Sydney Rider. They played neck and neck with Purdue’s Natalia Davila and Alex Sabe, but fell short in a closely contested 7-5 match.
Although they suffered a loss in Big Ten play, the Badgers celebrated Avgerinos and Rider’s final campaigns in the Cardinal and White. Avgerinos gave UW its first victory on the scoreboard with a straight-set win over Boilermaker senior Djokovic.
On Court 6, Grambeau shuffled across the court, hoping to secure a point for the Badgers, but was defeated in a close two-set victory. Her overall season record sits at 10-19.
Linden came back strong from a loss in the first set, winning the second set against Baquerizo. But she fell short in the third, losing a long battle and the match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Pick then defeated Suarez in a tie-breaking set, but it would not be enough for UW to overcome the Boilermakers.
Next Friday, the Badgers will play on the road against the Scarlet Knights (1-8, 7-12) in another Big Ten matchup, still looking to win their first conference game.
