LINCOLN, Neb. - The Purdue women's tennis team dropped to 0-2 in the Big Ten Conference on Saturday, losing 5-2 to Nebraska inside the Dillon Tennis Center. While the team largely struggled against the Cornhuskers, both Purdue's Rafaella Baquerizo and Andrela Djokovic excelled in their three matches.
The freshman and senior first paired up in doubles to provide the Boilermakers their only win, defeating P. Del Cueto Castillo and Mary Hanna 6-4 on court one. Purdue teammates Alex Sabe and Deborah Suarez then fell by the same mark to Lisa Andersson and Vasanti Shinde on court two. Nebraska secured the match's doubles points as the positions finished in order; Hayley Haakenstad and Claire Reifeis bested Marta Ruedas and Grace Schaffer 7-5 on court three in the last match off.
In singles, the Boilermakers fell further behind with losses on courts four and six. Ruedas fell first 6-1, 6-1 to Katerina Matysova; Caitlin Calkins was then defeated by Andersson 6-3, 6-2.
Baquerizo earned a point back for Purdue on court three, again outplaying Del Cueto Castillo 6-4, 6-1.
Competition on the remaining three courts all forced a third set; however, the Cornhuskers clinched the victory in the next match off. Hanna battled back from her first-set deficit against Suarez to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Djokovic's play improved the look of the scoreboard for the Boilermakers, besting Reifeis 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 on court two.
Purdue now enters a two-week break from play, returning to action at home on March 25 against Michigan State, where it hopes to end its eight-match losing streak.