April 25, 1999
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - It was deja vu all over again for the Purdue women's tennis team, as the Boilermakers fell 4-3 at 42nd-ranked Iowa in their regular season finale. The loss, Purdue's second in as many days by the same score, brings the Boilers' record to 7-15 (3-7 Big Ten) and makes them the No. 8 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Championship tournament, which will be held next weekend in East Lansing, Mich. The Hawkeyes improved to 14-7 (6-4 Big Ten) with the win.
Purdue got off to a good start by winning the doubles point. Junior Shannon Taheny and freshman Lynsey Fick teamed up for an 8-6 win over Emily Bampton and Natalya Dawaf at No. 2, while sophomores Erika Quebe and Lisa Walgenbach combined forces for an 8-4 win against Erin Wolverton and Erica Johnson at No. 3.
The Boilers needed three wins in singles to gain the overall victory, and freshman Missy Wright and junior Jennifer Embry did their part. Wright defeated Johnson 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5, while Embry won her second straight by rallying to defeat Toni Neykova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 at No. 1.
The deciding match came down to No. 6 singles, where Fick battled Wolverton. And despite winning the first set 6-4, Fick, a native of Davenport, Iowa, could not hang on and surrendered the 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 decision.
Purdue now stands tied for eighth place with Michigan in the Big Ten standings. The Boilers will face the Wolverines, whom they defeated 4-3 in Ann Arbor on April 11, in the first round of the conference tournament April 29. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Northwestern, which blanked Purdue 7-0 in West Lafayette on April 17
No. 42 Iowa 4, Purdue 3
SINGLES1. Jennifer Embry (PU) def. Toni Neykova (UI) 2-6, 6-4, 6-12. Shera Wiegler (UI) def. Erika Quebe (PU) 6-3, 7-53. Natalya Dawaf (UI) def. Shannon Taheny (PU) 6-4, 7-54. Emily Bampton (UI) def. Lisa Walgenbach (PU 6-0, 6-05. Missy Wright (PU) def. Erica Johnson (UI) 6-3, 6-16. Erin Wolverton (UI) def. Lynsey Fick (PU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
DOUBLES1. Neykova/Wiegler (UI) def. Embry/Wright (PU) 8-52. Taheny/Fick (PU) def. Bampton/Dawaf (UI) 8-63. Quebe/Walgenbach (PU) def. Wolverton/Johnson (UI) 8-4
(For further information, please contact Kathleen Offer at 765-494-6235 or kmoffer@athletics.purdue.edu)