WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - After suffering a pair of losses in their last outing, the Purdue women's tennis team looks to get back on track by hosting a pair of ranked B1G foes at the Schwartz Tennis Center Saturday and Sunday. The 35th-ranked Boilermakers will first take on No. 14 Michigan Saturday at 12 p.m. ET, followed by a Sunday showdown with No. 43 Michigan State Sunday at 10 a.m.
All three teams are in the upper echelon of the B1G standings. The 15-3 Wolverines occupy the top spot at 6-0 in league play, while a 5-1 record puts the Spartans (16-3) in third and Purdue (10-4) is tied for fifth with Minnesota at 3-2.
The Boilermakers return home after playing their last four dual matches on the road and are coming off of losses at then-No. 22 Ohio State and then-No. 71 Penn State. Despite the two setbacks, Krisztina Kapitany and Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum continued strong play in singles competition. Kapitany won her 10th-straight with a come-from-behind 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (2) win over Penn State's Devan McCluskey. The junior has split time at Nos. 5 and 6 during her current stretch, winning three at No. 5 and seven at No. 6, and owns a spring mark of 11-2.
Bernard-Feigenbaum took both of her matches in the third set last weekend to push her record to 14-2. The No. 2 singles player for Purdue has won her last seven matches with four ending in straight sets.
The hot racquets in doubles belong to Kapitany and Nicole Robinson. The duo carries a 6-0 record and is 3-0 in B1G matches while playing in the No. 3 slot.
Michigan moved back two spots to No. 14 in Tuesday's ITA rankings after disposing of then-No. 27 Northwestern and Illinois, both by a score of 6-1. The Wolverines, the highest ranked team in the conference, are on a nine-match winning streak. During the streak they have outscored their opponents 56-7, have won eight of the nine doubles points and have not surrendered more than two points in a dual match.
Emina Bektas and Ronit Yurovsky are ranked 23rd and 26th, respectively, in singles for Michigan. The doubles lineup also features the 12th-ranked tandem of Bektas and Alex Najarian, along with No. 58 Yurovsky and Sarah Lee.
Before coming to West Lafayette, Michigan State will take on No. 58 Indiana in Bloomington Friday. The Spartans are hitting the road after playing their last five dual matches at home where they went 4-1. They suffered a 5-2 loss to Northwestern in their last match on March 29, and rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat then-No. 66 Illinois, 4-3, the day before. Playing on the road this season, Michigan State is 3-1 wins at Western Michigan, Connecticut and Rutgers.
The Spartans are led by Erin Faulkner. The sophomore is riding a six-match win streak, all in B1G action, while playing at No. 1.
Michigan has won the last four meetings with the Boilermakers and the Old Gold & Black have taken the last eight dual matches from Michigan State.
PROMOS
Friday // All Purdue University student organizations are invited to show their Purdue pride as the Purdue women's tennis team takes on Michigan! Be sure to stop by the promotions table for a poster and chances to win prizes! We'll also have FREE pizza following the doubles matches!
Sunday // It's a #BoilerBlackout! Come out to Schwartz Tennis Center dressed in black and help us blackout Michigan State.