INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – On a perfect sun-soaked spring day, the Bulldogs and Jaguars both came in looking to boost their season with an out-of-conference win over their crosstown rival. It was Butler though that came through, defeating IUPUI 5-2 in a match that was less dramatic than it should have been.
The Jaguars came into the match having lost to the Bulldogs each of the last six years, and hadn't won more than one point since 2010. Midway through Saturday's doubles matches, things looked a bit different.
IUPUI's No 1. Doubles pair of Abbey Neff and Julie Brockman had fallen behind early, down 4-1 and two breaks, but battled back. After three straight winners at the net from Neff, including two volleys and an overhead smash, they had won four straight games to get back on serve and take a 5-4 lead. Their opponents, Stephani McLoughlin and Kailey Eaton, never recovered as Neff and Brockman pulled away to win 8-6.
Both of the other two doubles pairs led at different times and seemed in position to earn a potential win and the doubles point, but both faded down the stretch as Butler took the final two doubles matches and the opening point.
The Jaguars hadn't lost the match, but losing the opening point was the first of several missteps that ultimately cost them.
Butler took a commanding 3-0 lead after quick exits from Brockman and Rachael Bridegroom at No. 5 and No. 1 singles respectively, and needed just one more win.
Bobbi Modesto and Rachel Swartwood finished soon thereafter, each winning in straight sets to pull the Jaguars back to 3-2, but would still need to win both of their final matches.
Although Neff, at No. 6 singles, and Vanessa Whyte, at No. 2 singles, both lost their opening set, both were in control in the second and seemed to have solved in issues from the first set. Neff had taken a 3-0 lead over her opponent and Whyte had taken a 4-0 and 5-1 lead over hers.
Just when it seemed the Bulldogs had lost control, IUPUI gave it right back.
Whyte lost the next five games and needed to win the next just to survive to the second-set tiebreak. Neff lost six of the next seven games to lose the set and her match, clinching it for Butler.
Whyte was still alive though and was successful in forcing the tiebreak. Down 4-2, she won four of the next five points to force a third set. Since the match was already determined, they went straight to a super tiebreak. Whyte's opponent, Konstantina Adami, burst out with a 5-0 start and never looked back.
The Jaguars may not have been expected to win this one, but they had their chances. Leading in all three doubles matches and carrying two-break leads in the second sets of the final two matches, the score could have been flipped. Butler however was the tougher team and pulled out wins when they needed them.
The Jaguars have four matches left in the regular season, three conference matches in a cluster in Denver next weekend before returning home to face DePauw in the season finale.
Results
IUPUI 2, Butler 5
Singles
1. Stephani McLoughlin (Butler) def. Rachael Bridegroom (IUPUI) 6-2, 6-1
2. Konstantina Adami (Butler) def. Vanessa Whyte (IUPUI) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 1-0 (5)
3. Bobbi Modesto (IUPUI) def. Grace Hyde (Butler) 6-2, 6-0
4. Rachel Swartwood (IUPUI) def. Kailey Eaton (Butler) 6-4, 6-2
5. Angelina Qin (Butler) def. Julie Brockman (IUPUI) 6-0, 6-4
6. Jocelyn Koester (Butler) def. Abbey Neff (IUPUI) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles
1. Abbey Neff/Julie Brockman (IUPUI) def. Stephani McLoughlin/Kailey Eaton (Butler) 8-6
2. Grace Hyde/Angelina Qin (Butler) def. Rachel Swartwood/Rachael Bridegroom (IUPUI) 8-6
3. Jocelyn Koester/Konstantina Adami (Butler) def. Vanessa Whyte/Bobbi Modesto (IUPUI) 8-6
Match Notes:
IUPUI (3-17, 1-2)
Butler (4-16)
Order: Doubles (1,2,3) Singles (5,1,3,4,6,2)
