Omaha, Neb. -- Rains forced first day action at the 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Championships indoors to the Hanscom Indoor Tennis Center, but the Braves refused to let the clouds dampen their day as they claimed their first main draw win in the MVC Tournament since 1994, ending Evansville's season with a 4-2 win.
After splitting at No. 1 and 3, the Aces had the trump card in doubles, as Evansville's Lisa Kawamoto and Emily Krodel held off three break points at 7-6, as they rallied from 2-6 down to top Teri Chan (Gurnee, Ill./Warren Township) and Kim Braun (Racine, Wis./The Prairie School) at No. 2 and snatch the doubles point, putting the Braves in a hole they couldn't escape.
Down 1-0 heading into singles, the Braves regrouped and wore down the Aces, claiming wins in four, three-set matches to advance.
Ashley Morris (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) added a piece of history with her record-tying 105th combined win as the Bradley senior claimed her second win in less than a week over the Aces Sara Wilhoite, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 at No. 1 singles.
Chan continued her assault on the all-time wins list, downing Stephanie Millis 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3 singles for her 54th career singles win, tying Cindy Schneider (1985-88) for second place ? just 5 wins shy of the school record.
While the wins at No. 1 and 3 were rewriting women's tennis history on the Hilltop, efforts at No. 2 and No. 4 were providing the difference in the match.
Having dropped a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 decision in Bradley's 4-3 loss last week to the Aces, junior Elise Montrose (Portland, Ore./Sunset) was game for the reversal in a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (9) win over Lisa Kawamoto at No. 2 singles.
Montrose wasn't the only Brave to reverse a previous decision as freshman Erin Krubeck (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) shook off last weekend's straight set loss to Emily Krodel to bounce the Aces' No. 5 player, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, to end the Braves' 12-year drought in the conference tournament.
The win moves the Braves to 6-13 on the season as Evansville falls to 9-13. The win sets up a match this evening with second-seeded Indiana State at a yet to be determined time because of the shift indoors.
#10 Bradley def. #7 Evansville, 4-2
Doubles
1) Elise Montrose & Ashley Morris (BU) def. Stephanie Millis & Allie Cox (UE), 8-1
2) Lisa Kawamoto & Emily Krodel (UE) def. Kim Braun & Teri Chan (BU), 8-6
3) Sara Wilhoite & Anna Krodel (UE) def. Jess Sampias & Erin Krubeck (BU), 8-4
Singles
1) Ashley Morris (BU) def. Sara Wilhoite (UE) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
2) Elise Montrose (BU) def. Lisa Kawamoto 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (11-9)
3) Teri Chan (BU) def. Stephanie Millis (UE), 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
4) Allie Cox (UE) def. Kim Braun (BU), 1-6, 6-3, 7-5
5) Erin Krubeck (BU) def. Emily Krodel (UE), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
6) Anna Krodel (UE) led Jess Sampias (BU), 6-4, 4-6, 4-2 unfinished
UPDATED RECORDS: Bradley now 6-13; Evansville now 9-13.
NOTE: Match moved indoors to Hanscom Indoor Tennis Center
