Tulane University
Wisconsin
Tulane Women's Tennis Drops 5-2 Match to Wisconsin
Feb 14, 2016 | Women's Tennis
MADISON, Wis. - The Tulane women's tennis team (1-6) didn't quite get the Valentine's Day they were hoping for, falling 5-2, to host Wisconsin (3-4), on the conclusion of their two-day road trip to Madison on Sunday. The Green Wave's two points came via singles victories from freshman Elena Muller and senior Meredith Maltby.
"Today was incredibly disappointing," Tulane women's tennis head coach Terri Sisk said. "We played so well yesterday against a top-10 team then honestly were mentally weak against a team that we shouldn't have lost to. At this point, it's all about approaching every match with the same intensity and energy, not only getting up for the big matches and definitely not accepting the fact that when we aren't playing our best individually that we have to find a way to get through it and compete."
The Badgers seized the early momentum by securing the doubles point with wins on court three and one. First, Wisconsin's Lauren Burich and Kelsey Grambeau earned a 6-3 win vs. Jacqui Katz and Meredith Maltby, then No. 1 doubles pair Lauren Chypyha and Kendall Kirsch clinched for the Badgers with a 6-2 victory over Sade Atkinson and Ipek Birol.
Important to note that Tulane's No. 2 doubles pair of Naz Karagoz and Elena Muller claimed victory on Sunday, securing the 6-3 win over Ekaterina Stepanova and Sydney Rider.
Over in singles, down 2-0 after a Wisconsin victory on court five, Maltby cut the deficit in half with a swift 6-1, 6-2 victory on court six vs. Caroline Hall. However, the Badgers retaliated with straight-set victories on both courts three and one over Atkinson and Karagoz, respectively, officially clinching the team match.
Next, Muller captured her team-leading third dual win of the spring with a 6-4, 6-3 decision over Maria Avgerinos. In fact, including fall play, Muller is 7-2 in her last 10 matches.
Finally, Ipek Birol battled into a third-set super tiebreak after claiming the first set 6-3, but dropping the second set 6-4. In the third, Stepanova pushed ahead of Birol for the 1-0(6) clincher.
Up next, the Green Wave look to gain some traction back in New Orleans when they kick-off a three-match home-stand starting this Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 1 p.m. CT with No. 75 Maryland, marking the Wave's second straight Big Ten opponent. Tulane will also welcome in Colorado on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 11 a.m., followed by No. 19 Ole Miss on Monday, Feb. 22, at 10 a.m.
Green Wave Results
Wisconsin 5, Tulane 2
Singles competition - 5, 6, 3, 1, 4, 2
1. #32 Lauren Chypyha (WIS) def. Naz Karagoz (TLN) 6-4, 6-2
2. Ekaterina Stepanova (WIS) def. Ipek Birol (TLN) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6)
3. Kendall Kirsch (WIS) def. Sade Atkinson (TLN) 6-1, 6-4
4. Elena Muller (TLN) def. Maria Avgerinos (WIS) 6-4, 6-3
5. Kelsey Grambeau (WIS) def. Jacqui Katz (TLN) 6-2, 6-1
6. Meredith Maltby (TLN) def. Caroline Hall (WIS) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition - 3, 1, 2
1. Lauren Chypyha/Kendall Kirsch (WIS) def. Sade Atkinson/Ipek Birol (TLN) 6-2
2. Naz Karagoz/Elena Muller (TLN) def. Ekaterina Stepanova/Sydney Rider (WIS) 6-3
3. Lauren Burich/Kelsey Grambeau (WIS) def. Jacqui Katz/Meredith Maltby (TLN) 6-3
Players Mentioned
