IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa women’s tennis team was edged, 4-3, by No. 48 Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Championships Tournament on Thursday evening at the Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex.
The Fighting Illini edged the Hawkeyes in doubles, taking wins on courts one and three by identical 6-4 scores. Iowa’s doubles duo of Marisa Schmidt/Vipasha Mehra was leading 5-4 on court two when the doubles point was secured.
Illinois (16-8) recorded the first two singles wins. Schmidt lost on court one (6-2, 6-4), while freshman Barbora Pokorna lost on court two (7-5, 6-1).
The Hawkeyes answered with back-to-back-to-back victories on courts four, six and three to even the match. Mehra bounced her opponent on court four in straight sets (7-5, 6-1). Michelle Bacalla disposed of her opponent in three sets (6-2, 1-6, 6-1), while Samantha Mannix outlasted her opponent in three sets for the second time in as many days (6-7, 6-4, 6-4).
The match came down to court five. Samantha Gillas won the first set (7-6), but dropped the final two sets (7-5, 6-3).
Illinois was the 12th ranked opponent Iowa faced this season.
Thursday’s match was Iowa’s final match of the 2022 season. The Hawkeyes finished with an overall record of 7-17 and 2-9 in conference play.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH SASHA SCHMID
“We played with a lot of heart and fight tonight. It was a competitive season with so many competitive matches coming down to just a few points. Overall, this was a season of learning and growing. The team really came together late in the season, and we will look to build on that.”
RESULTS
#48 Illinois 4, Iowa 3
Singles
1. Kate Duong (ILL) def. Marisa Schmidt (IOWA): 6-2, 6-4
2. Ashley Yeah (ILL) def. Barbora Pokorna (IOWA): 7-5, 6-1
3. Samantha Mannix (IOWA) def. Megan Heuser (ILL): 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-4
4. Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) def. Josie Frazier (ILL): 7-5, 6-1
5. Kasia Treiber (ILL) def. Samantha Gillas (IOWA): 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
6. Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) def. Emily Casati (ILL): 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
Doubles
1. Heuser/Duong (ILL) def. Mannix/ Gillas (IOWA): 6-4
2. Mehra/Schmidt (IOWA) vs. Frazier/Yeah (ILL): 5-4, unfinished
3. Treiber/ Casati (ILL) def. Pokorna/Bacalla (IOWA): 6-4
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,1,4,6,3,5)