UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the first time this season, the 28th-ranked Purdue women's tennis team dropped back-to-back dual matches, falling at No. 71 Penn State, 5-2, Sunday at the Sarni Tennis Center. The Boilermakers slip to 10-4, 3-2 B1G with the loss as the Nittany Lions (8-9, 5-2 B1G) registered their fourth-straight win and third in-a-row over a higher ranked opponent.
The Old Gold & Black gained the early edge in doubles thanks to an 8-0 performance from Nicole Robinson and Krisztina Kapitany in the No. 3 slot over Katherine Whiteaway and Jacqueline Zuhse. The sophomore/junior duo kept their spotless record intact, moving to 6-0.
Penn State took over from there. Victoria Kisialeva and Katia Blik upset No. 55 Boilermakers Daniela Vidal and Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum, 8-2, in the top spot. It was the veteran pair's fourth loss of the season as they moved to 12-4. The point was secured for the Nittany Lions by Kim Surin and Devan McCluskey, who defeated Lynda Xepoleas and Natalia Davila in the decisive match, 8-4.
Straight-set wins at Nos. 6 and 3 gave Penn State a 3-0 advantage as play shifted to singles. At No. 4 Robinson took the first set in the breaker from Dasha Sapogova, 7-6 (4), but the Nittany Lion came back in the next two sets, 6-0, 6-2, to take the match and clinch the dual.
Bernard-Feigenbaum got Purdue on the board, coming back to prevail in a tight battle with Kisialeva, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3). The win was the junior's seventh straight as she lifted her overall record to 14-2 and is now 11-2 while playing at No. 2.
The Boilermakers' second point came by way of a 10-point tiebreaker in lieu of a third set from Kapitany at No. 5. The junior bounced back after dropping the first to McCluskey, 7-5, to take the second set, 6-2. Kapitany then dominated in the breaker, 10-2, pushing her winning streak to 10 straight. She owns an overall record of 11-2.
The women's tennis team will return to the Schwartz Tennis Center to take on Michigan April 4 at 12 p.m. ET.
No. 71 PENN STATE 5, No. 28 PURDUE 2
Doubles
1. Victoria Kisialeva/Katia Blik (Penn State) def. No. 55 Daniela Vidal/Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue), 8-2
2. Kim Surin/Devan McCluskey (Penn State) def. Lynda Xepoleas/Natalia Davila (Purdue), 8-4
3. Nicole Robinson/Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Katherine Whiteaway/Jacqueline Zuhse (Penn State), 8-0
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
Singles
1. Katia Blik (Penn State) def. Daniela Vidal (Purdue), 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (6)
2. Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum (Purdue) def. Victoria Kisialeva (Penn State), 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3)
3. Kim Surin (Penn State) def. Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue), 6-4, 6-4
4. Dasha Sapogova (Penn State) def. Nicole Robinson (Purdue), 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-2
5. Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Devan McCluskey (Penn State), 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (2)
6. Jacqueline Zuhse (Penn State) def. Andjela Djokovic (Purdue), 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 3, 4, 2, 1, 5