Bradley Tennis Sweeps MVC Weekly Honors

Natalia Barbery named Singles Player of the Week, the Lojpur/Wijesinghe Combo Named Team of the Week

MVC Notebook (Feb. 5)

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Tennis 2/5/2019 3:05:00 PM

ST. LOUIS – For the first time since the introduction of the Doubles Team-of-the-Week award, Bradley Tennis has swept the Missouri Valley Conference weekly honors. According to a release from the league office Tuesday, Bradley junior Natalia Barbery (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) is the MVC Singles Player of the Week, while the duo of freshman Bozana Lojpur (Burnaby, B.C.) and senior Malini Wijesinghe (Apple Valley, MN) claimed the MVC Doubles Team of the Week.

Barbery earned the weekly honor for the first time in her career and becomes the third player on the current Bradley roster to claim the MVC Singles Player-of-the-Week award, though she is just the sixth student-athlete in Bradley Women's Tennis history to earn weekly recognition from The Valley. Playing at No. 4 Singles, Barbery helped the Braves to a doubleheader sweep of Saturday's two matches at the Clubs at River City. In the morning match against Omaha, she cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win to give Bradley a 4-0 lead in the eventual, 6-1 victory against the Mavericks, which avenged last year's 5-2 road loss. In the afternoon match against Eastern Illinois, Barbery helped the Braves snap a 10-match, 18-year skid against the Panthers by battling back for a 3-set win in her No. 4 Singles position. Her triumph pushed Bradley's lead to 4-2 in the eventual 5-2 victory.

Securing the clinching point in both of @BradleyUTennis's matches last week at the No. 4 spot, Natalia Barbery is the #MVCtennis Singles Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/SgPnN3CpxX
— Missouri Valley Conference (@MVCsports) February 5, 2019

With her two wins Saturday, Barbery improved to 10-4 overall in singles play this year and cracked the program's all-time top 30 with her 30th career singles victory.

Both Lujpur (Jan. 22, 2019) and Wijesinghe (Feb. 13, 2018) are previous winners of the MVC Singles Player-of-the-Week award, but teamed to become Bradley's first-ever MVC Doubles Team of the Week by enjoying a 2-0 day during Saturday's twinbill. The 6-3 morning win against Omaha locked up the doubles point for the Braves, while the 6-4 victory in the afternoon match against Eastern Illinois was the first loss of the spring for the Panthers combo of Abby Carpenter/Claire Martin. Lojpur and Wijesinghe have teamed for a 9-5 overall record this year, including a 3-1 ledger at No. 2 Doubles to start the dual match season.

Going 2-0 at the No. 2 singles spot to help @BradleyUTennis to a pair of wins, Malini Wijesinghe and Bozana Lojpur are the #MVCtennis Doubles Team of the Week! pic.twitter.com/kyFaVqYA3W
— Missouri Valley Conference (@MVCsports) February 5, 2019

After playing its first four dual matches of the season at the Clubs at River City, Bradley (3-1) will hit the road for the first time this weekend for a pair of noon matches at Rockford's Boylan Tennis Center – Friday against host Northern Illinois (2-2) and Saturday versus North Dakota (2-1). The Braves will be seeking their first road victory in 10 tries Friday at NIU, while Saturday's match will be the first-ever women's tennis dual against North Dakota.

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