Normal, Ill. ? The “other” team in red came out ahead on Friday as the Braves opened conference play with a 7-0 defeat at the hands of rival Illinois State at the McCormick Courts in Normal.

Illinois State grabbed the early momentum in doubles and never looked back as the hosts thwarted any thoughts of a Bradley upset early on.

Nicole Schneider and Matea Simovic started things off for the Redbirds with an 8-2 win over BU's Erin Krubeck (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) and Jess Sampias (Chatham, Ill./Glenwood) at No. 3 doubles.

Junior Teri Chan (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and freshman Kim Braun (Racine, Wis./The Prairie School) could do little to stop the ISU momentum in the No. 2 slot as Veronique Parke-Bedard and Ashley Maxwell stopped the Bradley pair, 8-3, to secure the doubles point.

Singles play offered little in the way of reprieve as the preseason No. 2 team showed their strength, sweeping all six matches.

Junior Elise Montrose (Portland, Ore./Sunset) stretched Parke-Bedard to the limit at No. 2 singles, only to fall short, 6-0, in the third. 

Montrose would get as close as any Brave would as ISU claimed straight-set wins at each of the other singles positions.

Bradley will go from the preseason No. 2 to the preseason No. 1 as they travel to Terre Haute, Ind. to take on the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday as the third match in a six-game road trip.

Tennis Match Results

Braves vs Illinois State

3/31/2006 at Normal, Ill.

Illinois State 7, Braves 0

 Singles competition

1. Katri Miller (ILS) def. Ashley Morris (BU) 6-4, 6-2

2. Veronique Parke-Beda (ILS) def. Elise Montrose (BU) 6-7, 6-0, 6-0

3. Emilie Sechaud (ILS) def. Teri Chan (BU) 6-3, 6-1

4. Carolyne Parent (ILS) def. Kim Braun (BU) 6-1, 6-2

5. Nicole Schneider (ILS) def. Erin Krubeck (BU) 6-3, 6-1

6. Ashley Maxwell (ILS) def. Jess Sampias (BU) 6-2, 6-1

 Doubles competition

1. Katri Miller/Michelle Rabinovich (ILS) def. Ashley Morris/Elise Montrose (BU) 8-4

2. Veronique Parke-Beda/Ashley Maxwell (ILS) def. Teri Chan/Kim Braun (BU) 8-3

3. Nicole Schneider/Matea Simovic (ILS) def. Erin Krubeck/Jess Sampias (BU) 8-2

Match Notes: