WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue women's tennis team gave up a valued Governor's Cup point against Indiana on Saturday, losing 4-3 to the Hoosiers inside the Schwartz Tennis Center.
The loss marks the team's seventh at home and eleventh on the season -- a streak that dates back to Jan. 29 at Dartmouth.
Purdue fell early in doubles as Indiana clinched the point with wins on courts one and two. Rafaella Baquerizo and Andjela Djokovic lost their first match as a tandem to No. 41 Madison Appel and Kim Schmider -- a 6-4 decision in the first position. Marta Ruedas and Deborah Suarez were also defeated 6-2 on court two by Paula Gutierrez and Natalie Whalen.
In singles, Caitlin Calkins won 6-2, 6-0 against Alicia Robinson in the first match off, extending the freshman's win-streak to three. She picked up her first victory as a Boilermakers a week ago against Michigan State, and has since competed as a different athlete. Calkins began the spring 0-5 after sitting out the fall with an injury.
Djokovic also picked up an impressive win in the number two position, besting Gutierrez 6-2, 6-3 in the second match off. At 2-1 Purdue, the Hoosiers secured victories on courts three and four, but Natalia Davila evened the score in a three-setter at the number five position. The senior defeated Schmider 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, overcoming the first set deficit.
In the last match on, Purdue's Alex Sabe forced a third set, winning the second in a tiebreak; however, the freshman was unable to carry the momentum into the last. Appel defeated the Boilermaker 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-5 to clinch the match for Indiana after three hours, 35 minutes.
Purdue returns to action next weekend to close out the team's final home stand of the season; both Saturday's match against Northwestern and Sunday's against Illinois begin at noon ET.