Feb. 19, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Twenty-seven years. The Purdue women's tennis team waited a long time for another win against Kentucky, but finally got it Sunday at the Lafayette Sports Center. The 40th-ranked Boilermakers upset the 19th-ranked Wildcats 5-2.
Purdue head coach Mat Iandolo credited his players for outmatching their counterparts' energy.
"We came out with a real purpose," Iandolo said. "We had a great start in doubles, and that really got us rolling."
Indeed, Purdue's doubles success led to a 1-0 lead in the match, as Purdue won all three pairs contests to claim the doubles point. Most impressively, junior Hala Sufi and freshman Mallory Voelker teamed for an 8-6 upset of the 18th-ranked pair of Kim Coventry and Joelle Schwenk at No. 1.
Purdue continued its domination in singles. Freshman Randi Schuler, ranked 54th, won in straight sets at No. 2. Sophomore Brooke Beier and Voelker followed with straight-set victories at No. 3 and No. 4.
After the team outcome had been decided, freshman Anna Dzeva added a win at No. 6.
The win for Purdue, which beat No. 57 Rice on Feb. 17, is its second this season against a ranked team, and its first over a top-20 team since Feb. 11, 2005, when the Boilermakers beat No. 19 Texas A&M 4-3 in Lafayette.
The Boilermakers came into the match trailing Kentucky 18-2 in the all-time series, having lost 13 straight since last beating the Wildcats on Oct. 5, 1979.
The 4-2 Boilermakers now have won four straight matches for the first time since the 2003 season.
Purdue will return to action Wednesday, when it opens Big Ten play at home against Illinois. The match is slated to start at noon at the Lafayette Sports Center.
#40 Purdue 5, #19 Kentucky 2
Singles
1. #53 Kim Coventry (K) def. #29 Hala Sufi (P) 6-3, 6-1
2. #54 Randi Schuler (P) def. Joelle Schwenk (K) 6-2, 6-4
3. Brooke Beier (P) def. Lara Maurer (K) 6-3, 6-2
4. Mallory Voelker (P) def. Carolina Escamilla (K) 7-5, 6-2
5. Jessica Giuggioli (K) def. Stephanie Wooten (P) 2-6, 6-2, 2-2 ret.
6. Anna Dzeva (P) def. Danielle Petrisko (K) 0-6, 7-6, 1-0 (11-9)
Doubles
1. Sufi/Voelker (P) def. #18 Coventry/Schwenk (K) 8-6
2. Beier/Schuler (P) def. Maurer/Escamilla (K) 8-6
3. Brittany Minna/Wooten (P) def. Giuggioli/Caroline Winebrenner (K) 9-7
Purdue: 4-2
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