April 15, 2006
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A dominating performance inched the Purdue women's tennis team one step closer to a Big Ten regular-season title. The 46th-ranked Boilermakers swept Wisconsin 7-0 Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Courts to improve their league record to 5-2; they are now 11-7 overall, with three matches remaining on their schedule.
Purdue head coach Mat Iandolo said the Boilermakers are playing well heading into a showdown with league-leading Northwestern, which currently is undefeated in conference action.
"I think we're right where we want to be with Northwestern coming to town," Iandolo said. "Against Wisconsin, we did a great job putting it away. We really just took care of things from the start. I'm not sure we could have hoped for anything more or better."
Purdue was better than Wisconsin every step of the way. In doubles, the Boilermakers won all three matches by 8-6 scores to take the first point of the contest.
In singles, Purdue cruised. First off the court was 66th-ranked freshman Randi Schuler, who quickly polished off Kaylan Caiati 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1. Moments later senior Brittany Minna finished with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Erin Jobe at No. 6. The win for Minna was her second this spring and first since joining the regular singles rotation on April 1.
Shortly after Minna was done, sophomore Stephanie Wooten walked off the No. 4 court with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Elizabeth Carpenter. Wooten's win clinched the match for Purdue.
The Boilermakers were not done, however. They added three more straight-set wins from freshman Mallory Voelker at No. 3, sophomore Brooke Beier at No. 2, and freshman Anna Dzeva at No. 5.
Wisconsin dropped to 4-16 overall and 1-7 in the Big Ten with the loss, its first in West Lafayette since Feb. 27, 2000.
Purdue's 7-0 win is its second of the year. The nine-match sweep of all singles and doubles contests, however, is the first for the Boilermakers this spring, and first since a 7-0 walloping of Minnesota last April 23.
Purdue and Northwestern, which played at Illinois on Saturday, are scheduled to meet Sunday at 11 a.m. The match will be played either outdoors at the Varsity Tennis Courts, or indoors at the Lafayette Sports Center, depending on weather conditions.
#46 Purdue 7, Wisconsin 0
Singles
1. #66 Randi Schuler (P) def. Kaylan Caiati (W) 6-1, 6-1
2. Brooke Beier (P) def. Chelsea Nusslock (W) 6-3, 6-1
3. Mallory Voelker (P) def. Nicole Beck (W) 6-3, 6-2
4. Stephanie Wooten (P) def. Elizabeth Carpenter (W) 6-3, 6-0 *
5. Anna Dzeva (P) def. Morgan Tuttle (W) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
6. Brittany Minna (P) def. Erin Jobe (W) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
1. Beier/Voelker (P) def. Caiati/Carpenter (W) 8-6
2. Wooten/Schuler (P) def. Nusslock/Tuttle (W) 8-6
3. Minna/Dzeva (P) def. Beck/Jobe (W) 8-6
Order of singles finish: 1,6,4,3,2,5
Order of doubles finish: 1,2,3
* Denotes match-clinching victory.
Purdue: 11-7 (5-2 Big Ten)
Wisconsin: 4-16 (1-7 Big Ten)
- P -