April 25, 2004
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - In a somewhat fitting end to the regular season, the Purdue women's tennis team's final match came down to one point. Unfortunately, the 61st-ranked Boilermakers found themselves on the short end of the stick, falling 4-3 at No. 25 Indiana on Sunday. Purdue finishes the regular season with a 9-13 overall record and 3-7 Big Ten mark, while the Hoosiers' records settle at 17-6 and 9-1 heading into the Big Ten Championships next weekend in Evanston, Ill.
Playing in its fifth consecutive and 12th overall one-point match this spring, Purdue should have had an experienced edge down the stretch over the favored, home-standing Hoosiers. However, despite having good chances to put the match away and even the potential to win 6-1, the Boilermakers fell short.
Purdue started well, winning the doubles point behind victories from the No. 2 team of junior Shawna Zuccarini and freshman Hala Sufi, and the No. 3 team of sophomore Lara Burgarello and freshman Alyssa Rodriguez.
Zuccarini easily handled Karie Schlukebir 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 singles, and senior Melissa Woods pulled out a 6-4, 7-6 win over Cecile Perton at No. 6.
With three wins to its credit, Purdue needed just one more to pull off the upset. The Boilermakers' best chances came from Sufi and Rodriguez. At No. 1, Sufi won her first set against No. 48 Dora Vastag, 6-1, but surrendered a big lead in the second and lost 7-5. Vastag finished off Sufi 6-2 in the third.
Rodriguez suffered a similar fate at No. 3 singles. She took the first set from Sarah Batty, 6-4, but lost 6-1 in the second. Rodriguez then held a lead late in the third before falling 7-5.
Junior Amy Walgenbach also lost in three sets, after winning the first set 6-0 against Laura McGaffigan at No. 4.
With the win, Indiana picked up a point in the Titan Series, an all-sports competition between the Purdue and Indiana athletics departments. After this weekend's men's tennis, women's tennis and women's golf competitions, the two schools are tied 7.5 all.
Purdue now will turn its attention to the conference postseason tournament. The brackets for the event will be released Monday, once all regular-season competition is complete. The Boilermakers likely will begin play April 29.
#25 Indiana 4, #61 Purdue 3Singles1. Dora Vastag (IU) def. Hala Sufi (PU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-22. Linda Tran (IU) def. Gretchen Haynor (PU) 6-0, 6-13. Sarah Batty (IU) def. Alyssa Rodriguez (PU) 4-6, 6-1, 7-54. Laura McGaffigan (IU) def. Amy Walgenbach (PU) 0-6, 6-4, 6-25. Shawna Zuccarini (PU) def. Karie Schlukebir (IU) 6-2, 6-16. Melissa Woods (PU) def. Cecile Perton (IU) 6-4, 7-6- P -
Doubles1. Batty/Tran (IU) def. Haynor/Woods (PU) 8-22. Zuccarini/Sufi (PU) def. McGaffigan/Vastag (IU) 8-63. Lara Burgarello/Rodriguez (PU) def. Schlukebir/Grimm (IU) 8-2
Purdue: 9-13 (3-7 Big Ten)Indiana: 17-6 (9-1 Big Ten)