February 28, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 43rd-ranked Purdue women's tennis team dropped its Big Ten, suffering a 4-3 loss to No. 47 Minnesota in Minneapolis today. The Boilermakers are now 4-2 (0-1 Big Ten), while the Gophers improve to 7-3 (3-0 Big Ten).
"This match was a real heartbreaker, but we'll get stronger from this experience," Purdue coach Mat Iandolo said. "It should help us down the road in the Big Ten."
Purdue got the ball rolling in a positive fashion, winning the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. The junior-freshman combo of Jennifer Embry and Missy Wright won its fourth match in a row with an 8-4 victory against Kim Simonsen and Jana Hrdinova, while the junior-sophomore pair of Shannon Taheny and Erika Quebe remained undefeated in dual matches with an 8-6 decision over Sitinee Rangsithienchai and Tarah Elkins.
Those two wins gave Purdue an edge entering singles play, as the Boilers needed just three individual victories to claim the match. But the Boilers could not pull it out, as Taheny and Wright were the only Purdue players to pick up victories. Embry's bid to be the Boilers' hero fell short, as her comeback bid against Nora Sauska was denied in three sets.
Purdue has one week to regroup before it faces its next challenge in 26th-ranked Tennessee. The Boilers will take on the Lady Vols at the Lafayette Sports Center on March 6 at 1 p.m.
Minnesota 4, Purdue 3
SINGLES
1. Nora Sauska (UM) def. Jennifer Embry (PU) 6-0, 1-6, 6-42. Kim Simonsen (UM) def. Erika Quebe (PU) 6-2, 6-23. Sitinee Rangsithienchai (UM) def. Lisa Walgenbach (PU) 6-1, 6-44. Shannon Taheny (PU) def. Tarah Elkins (UM) 6-4, 6-25. Missy Wright (PU) def. Jenny Howard (UM) 6-4, 6-26. Jana Hrdinova (UM) def. Lynsey Fick (PU) 6-3, 6-0DOUBLES
1. Embry/Wright(PU) def. Simonsen/Hrdinova (UM) 8-42. Taheny/Quebe (PU) def. Rangsithienchai/Elkins (UM) 8-63. Sauska/Howard (UM) def. Walgenbach/Fick (PU) 8-5