EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Milwaukee tennis team got off to a quick start earning the doubles point to begin the match, but the Panthers (5-9) were unable hold on falling 5-2 to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (12-1) Sunday morning from the YMCA – Meyer Center.
 
Both the No. 1 and No. 3 lines for the Panthers saw themselves in an early deficit, but each fought back late in the set to win and clinch the point for the Black & Gold.
 
MKE's No. 1 doubles team Greta Carbone and Iva Stejskalova were down 0-2 before winning the next three games for the 3-2 advantage. SIUE evened the match three-all in the next game, but Carbone and Stejskalova closed it out sweeping the last three games for a 6-3 victory. With the win, the duo improved to 11-3 overall.
 
Paired up for just the second time this season, seniors Anika Tylek and Nikki Milner clinched the doubles point with a huge come-from-behind match. Tylek and Milner rallied back from a 4-0 deficit and won the next six games and win the match.
 
In singles, the Panthers struggled earning just one win from the No. 5 singles line. Freshman Avery Durham earned her seventh singles victory this season with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 over Cougars' Nicole Gomez.
 
MKE's Milner forced a third set after winning the second set, but came up short in the third, falling 3-6, 6-1, 0-6.
 
Both Mayya Perova and SIUE's Jill Lambrechts entered the match on a 10-match win streak, but it was Cougars' Lambrechts who extended the streak, winning 6-4, 6-0 over Perova.
 
Milwaukee ends an eight-match road schedule and return home for a single dual next Saturday. The Panthers will host Valparaiso at 1 p.m. from Elite – River Glen.