INDIANAPOLIS – Following a two-week break from competition, the IUPUI women’s tennis team returned to action on Friday, March 8, as it hosted Eastern Illinois at the West Indy Racquet Club. The Jags were looking to build off a win in their match over Valparaiso, but the Panthers emerged with a 7-0 triumph.

EIU came out and swept all three doubles matches to take the early one-point advantage.

Four straight-set victories in singles clinched the win for the Panthers, but IUPUI’s Bobbi Modesto and Vanessa Whyte forced their matches to go the distance.

Modesto earned a 6-4 first-set win to take the early lead, but fell, 6-2, in the second set to send the match to a winner-takes-all third set. In the final set, Modesto and Merritt Whitley went to a tiebreaker after each won six games - only to have Whitley escape with a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker.

Whyte on the other hand was just a few points from winning as she took the first set, 6-3, before dropping a tightly contested second-set in a tiebreaker. A third-set tiebreaker ensued and Ali Foster came away with a victory over Whyte to finish off the sweep.

The Jags are back in action on Saturday, March 9, when they head to Cincinnati, Ohio, to take on Xavier. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Eastern Illinois 7, IUPUI 0
Doubles

1. Whitley/Boulbahaiem (EIU) def. Hullett/Modesto (IUPUI) – 8-7
2. Kim/Kimbrough (EIU) def. Whyte/Bridegroom (IUPUI) – 8-4
3. Foster/Laird (EIU) def. Bays/Hyman (IUPUI) – 8-1

Singles

1. Boulbahaiem (EIU) def. Hullett (IUPUI) – 6-2, 6-2
2. Whitley (EIU) def. Modesto (IUPUI) – 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
3. Foster (EIU) def. Whyte (IUPUI) – 3-6, 7-6 (2), 1-0 (5)
4. Kimbrough (EIU) def. Bays (IUPUI) – 6-2, 6-4
5. Laird (EIU) def. Hyman (IUPUI) – 6-0, 6-0
6. Kim (EIU) def. Bridegroom (IUPUI) – 7-6 (5), 6-1