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Northern Iowa UNI (4-7, 1-4 MVC)
6
Winner Bradley BRAD (15-7, 4-1 MVC)
Northern Iowa UNI
(4-7, 1-4 MVC)
1
Final
6
Bradley BRAD
(15-7, 4-1 MVC)
Winner
Tennis Final vs UNI 2019

Tennis Sets Program Records with 15th Win

The Braves swept the singles matches to beat UNI, 6-1, to complete the best regular season in program history

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Match Recap: Women's Tennis | | Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications
PEORIA, IL – Bradley Tennis raised the program's bar of success another notch higher Sunday, sweeping through the six singles matches for a 6-1 Missouri Valley Conference dual victory against Northern Iowa (4-7, 1-4 MVC) at the David Markin Tennis Courts.  The Braves (15-7, 4-1 MVC) earned their season record 15th dual match victory and set the program mark with their fourth Valley win to finish runner-up in the final league standings for their best-ever finish in the MVC regular-season race.
 
In addition the team achievements, Sunday's results left Bradley with several individual milestones.  Junior Natalia Barbery  (5-0 at No. 4 Singles) became the first Bradley player to complete an undefeated Valley season, a distinction she held only for a few minutes until freshman Bozana Lojpur (5-0 at No. 2 Singles) joined her in the MVC undefeated club.  Barbery also tied the program season record for wins in the No. 4 Singles position with her 12th of the year, while Lojpur tied the program record for singles wins by a freshman by earning her 23rd overall singles win of the year. Senior Malini Wijesinghe (20-10 overall) became the first-ever Bradley senior to win 20 singles matches in a season and she extended her program season record for wins in the No. 3 position to 14.
 
Sunday's match got off to a rough start as UNI clinched the doubles point by taking the Nos. 2 and 3 positions.  The Braves rolled through the singles matches, however, to finish off the best regular season in program history.
 
Freshman Nikki Perlwitz started the singles sweep with a 6-2, 6-0 win at No. 6 and Wijesinghe put the Braves in front, 2-1, by securing a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 3.  Barbery was the next to finish with a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 4 and sophomore Nina Marjanovic delivered the clinching point with a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 5.  Sophomore Sandra Maletin gave the Braves a 5-1 lead with a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 1 and Lojpur overcame illness and a first-set loss to complete the singles sweep with a 3-6, 6-4, 10-1 victory at No. 2.
 
Though the Braves finished the season second in the MVC standings, Bradley could be the No. 3 seed for next weekend's Missouri Valley Conference Women's Tennis Team Championship, to be hosted by UNI.  Affiliate member Stony Brook (15-3), which did not play in Valley teams during the regular season, will be seeded in the tournament based on tennis RPI with the tourney bracket to be announced later today.
 
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Players Mentioned

Natalia Barbery

Natalia Barbery

Junior
Sandra Maletin

Sandra Maletin

5' 10"
Sophomore
Malini Wijesinghe

Malini Wijesinghe

5' 11"
Senior
Bozana Lojpur

Bozana Lojpur

5' 5"
Freshman
Nikki Perlwitz

Nikki Perlwitz

5' 7"
Freshman
Nina Marjanovic

Nina Marjanovic

5' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Natalia Barbery

Natalia Barbery

Junior
Sandra Maletin

Sandra Maletin

5' 10"
Sophomore
Malini Wijesinghe

Malini Wijesinghe

5' 11"
Senior
Bozana Lojpur

Bozana Lojpur

5' 5"
Freshman
Nikki Perlwitz

Nikki Perlwitz

5' 7"
Freshman
Nina Marjanovic

Nina Marjanovic

5' 9"
Sophomore