SOUTH BEND, Ind. - In only her second start at the number one position, true freshman Alex Sabe picked up her first win while leading the Boilermakers during Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Notre Dame. The underclassman defeated Monica Robinson 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (10-4) to earn her 15th singles victory of the season -- a team best. She was nearly defeated at the head post by Arkansas' No. 47 Shannon Hudson on Friday.
Natalia Davila also picked up a three-set victory against the Fighting Irish, winning 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-8) against Rachel Chong on court six. The same could not be said for the rest of the Purdue women's tennis team, however.
The remaining four Boilermakers dropped their singles matches in straight sets -- Caitlin Calkins, Andjela Djokovic and Deborah Suarez prior to the Notre Dame clinch. Rafaella Baquerizo fell shortly after to No. 118 Allison Miller on court three.
Purdue needed four of the six singles points, having lost its fifth doubles point in a row at the beginning of the dual match. Baquerizo and Davila were defeated by Mary Closs and Miller 6-4 on court two, and Marta Ruedas and Sabe fell 7-5 on court three against Chong and Zoe Spence.
The Boilermakers will have one last chance to correct their mistakes in non-conference play at Tulsa at 5 p.m. ET on March 3; the team enters the heart of its Big Ten schedule at Nebraska on March 11.