EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Bradley women's tennis team won a pair of three-set singles matches, but SIU Edwardsville swept the doubles point to edge the Braves 4-3 Sunday at the Edwardsville YMCA.
Senior Nicole Miller (Glendale, Heights, Ill./Glenbard West) posted a 7-5, 6-0 win at #1 singles against SIUE's Carli Connors for her first victory of the spring and a pair of freshmen rallied for three-set wins to help Bradley (1-2 overall) split the singles points.
Freshman Meredith McDonagh (Bryan, Ohio/Bryan) dropped the opening set at #3 singles 6-4 to the Cougars' Laura Horning, but recovered to take the final two sets 6-4, 6-1 for her second straight singles victory. At #4 singles, fellow freshman Adele Henke (Edina, Minn./Edina) also fell in the opening set by the score of 6-4, before rallying to take the final two sets from Rachel Webb 6-3, 6-1. Freshman Sarah Rodefeld (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) suffered a three-set loss at #2 singles, dropping a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 decision to Maggie Boeckman.
SIU Edwardsville (2-3 overall) rallied from behind at both #1 and #2 doubles to sweep the doubles point and claim a 4-3 victory. Connors and Joanna Corkern edged the BU duo of Miller and Rodefeld 8-6 at #1 doubles and the SIUE pair of Webb and Boeckman were 8-6 winners at #2 doubles against the Bradley tandem of Henke and McDonagh.
The Braves return to action Saturday when they continue a season-long, five-match road swing with a 1 p.m. match at Northern Illinois.
