Wisconsin Badgers
Marquette
Badgers nipped by Golden Eagles
February 08, 2015 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 8, 2015
MADISON, Wis. -- In a match that had plenty of momentum swings, the Wisconsin women's tennis team fought through them to the bitter end: a 40-40 point on the number six singles court.Â
That matchup featured Ekaterina Stepanova, playing her first full weekend of the season after being injured to start the year, battling all the way through against Marquette's Paula Tormos.
After winning the first set 6-3, Stepanova pushed Tormos to within one game of a win twice, including that final, deciding point. Both teams had gathered around the court, providing an electric, exciting atmosphere for the end of the match's determining set.Â
"Kate (Ekaterina Stepanova), I couldn't be more proud of her effort," head coach Tina Samara said. "She has barely been playing, just got back into practice and competing, and you know I think that's probably the difference today, she made some errors that I think if she had been practicing for the last month she wouldn't have, but there was never a lack of fight, there was never a look of feeling sorry for herself or making the excuse 'I haven't been playing' and I think that's what we're looking for in every spot."
In doubles, the duo of Lauren Chypyha and Maria Avgerinos teamed up to defeat MU's Ali Dawson and Aleeza Kanner, 6-4, in No. 2 doubles. However, the No. 1 team of Lauren Burich and Kelsey Grambeau were unsuccessful for the first time this season, falling by the same margin to Marquette's Ana Pimienta and Erin Gebes.
The No. 3 doubles team of Ekaterina Stepanova and Sydney Rider also narrowly fell, 6-4, to Paula Tormos and Diana Tokar, which conceded the doubles point to Marquette.
Losing the doubles point for the just the second time this season came back to bite the Badgers, who secured the top three singles points over the Golden Eagles.
Samara, thinking of the team's five, 4-3 losses last season, saw the team's constant fight as an area that can improved going forward.
"I think until it's good one through six and three doubles," the coach explained, "I think we are going to be playing a dangerous game as far as which side of the 4-3 we are on."
In the top singles matches, the Badgers excelled, starting with Lauren Chypyha cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Marquette's Ana Pimienta.
Maria Avgerinos kept Wisconsin alive late in the match, winning the match-tying third team point with her 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 decision over Erin Gebes.
Sydney Rider capped off the run of Badgers wins with her straight-set, 6-2, 6-3 win, defeating MU's No. 3 Ali Dawson.
The Badgers are back in action on Friday at 4 p.m. at Nielsen Tennis Stadium against Akron. Admission is free to the public.
Marquette 4, Wisconsin 3
Feb. 8, 2015
Nielsen Tennis Center
Singles:
Lauren Chypyha def. Ana Pimienta 6-1, 6-0
Maria Avgerinos def. Erin Gebes 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
Sydney Rider def. Ali Dawson 6-2, 6-3
Diana Tokar def. Kelsey Grambeau 6-2, 6-4
Vanessa Foltinger def. Lauren Burich 6-1, 4-6, 6-2Â
Paula Tormos def. Ekaterina Stepanova 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
Doubles:
Pimienta/Gebes def. Burich/Grambeau 6-4
Chypyha/Avgerinos def. Dawson/Kanner 6-4
Tormos/Tokar def. Stepanova/Rider 6-4
