INDIANAPOLIS - Playing in its lone match of the weekend, the IUPUI women’s tennis team picked up bookend wins in singles play from Shelby Hullett and Jesika Bays, but it wasn’t enough as Eastern Illinois defeated the Jaguars, 5-2, Sunday evening at the Five Seasons Sports Club.

 

The Jags got off to a tough start in doubles play with their top two doubles tandems falling by 8-0 scores, giving the Panthers the doubles point.

 

With the doubles point already decided, the third doubles match was more competitive with the match going to a tiebreaker, however, Bays and Hullett came up short, 8-7, losing 10-8 in the tiebreaker.

 

Despite losing their No. 3 doubles match, Hullett and Bays each bounced back with wins in singles play.

 

After dropping her first set, 6-3, to Janelle Prisner, Hullett battled back with a 6-3 second-set response to even things at one set apiece, before cruising to a 6-2 third-set win completing the come-from-behind three-set triumph at the No. 1 spot.

 

In No. 6 singles, Bays made quick work of her opponent using scores of 6-2, 6-4, to pick up the win in the last singles match.

 

IUPUI had another opportunity to pick up a point in No. 3 singles when Vanessa Whyte and Jennifer Kim went to a tiebreaker to determine a winner. In the tiebreaker, Whyte could not flip the momentum to her side, falling 10-6.

 

Danielle Haefele, Alisha Cummings, and Lee Matthews also fell short in their singles matches falling in straight sets at the No. 2, No. 4, and No. 5 positions, respectively, closing out the 5-2 Panthers win.

 

The Jags embark on a big home weekend this weekend when it hosts four matches beginning with a meeting with Wright State on Friday, March 11. On Saturday, March 12, IUPUI takes on Western Michigan and Houston, before closing the weekend against Chicago State on Sunday, March 13. All four matches will take place at Five Seasons Sports Club.

 

Doubles:

1) Huck/Whitley (EIU) def. Matthews/Cummings (IUPUI) 8-0

2) Prisner/Dibbs (EIU) def. Whyte/Haefele (IUPUI) 8-0

3) Kim/Brooks (EIU) def. Bays/Hullett (IUPUI) 8-7 (10-8)

 

Singles:

1) Shelby Hullett (IUPUI) def. Janelle Prisner (EIU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

2) Merritt Whitley (EIU) def. Danielle Haefele (IUPUI) 6-1, 6-3

3) Jennifer Kim (EIU) def. Vanessa Whyte (IUPUI) 7-5, 2-6 (10-6)

4) Shannon Brooks (EIU) def. Alisha Cummings (IUPUI) 6-2, 6-1

5) Amanda Dibbs (EIU) def. Lee Matthews (IUPUI) 6-1, 6-3

6) Jesika Bays (IUPUI) def. Annie Egan (EIU) 6-2, 6-4