BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Milwaukee women's tennis team came up just short of a doubles victory and then could not pull out results in singles play against a very tough Illinois State squad Sunday afternoon at Evergreen Raquet Club.
 
The Panthers (4-5) leveled doubles at 1-1 before dropping the point to the Redbirds (8-3) by a 7-5 decision in the third and deciding match.
 
The home team, who are reigning Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions, then came through with a big day of singles results, taking all but one spot to claim the 6-1 victory.
 
"Illinois state is an extremely talented team," head coach Mark Goldin said. "We learned from this match that we are able to compete at the highest level. The next step is to get over the hump and finish our close matches."
 
To open the day, Emilia Durska and Iva Stejskalova defeated Zoe Limparis and Nuria Sanz, 6-4, at No. 3 to make it 1-1. Despite a late rally, Giorgia Cavestro and Nadiia Konieva came up just short at No. 2, falling 7-5.
 
"I am happy with the progress we are making, we are getting great experience under pressure situations and I can't wait to see how high of a level we will be competing at by our first conference match," Goldin said.
 
Milwaukee gave it a go in singles, with Konieva winning a 7-5, 7-5 thriller over Lana Caculovic, at No. 2 to move to 13-1 on the season. The decision handed Caculovic her first loss on the campaign, now 9-1.
 
Sara Simonova (No. 5) and Evelina Anastasi (No. 6) each claimed their first sets but fell in the gut-wrenching thirds of each match, Simonova at 10-8 and Anastasi at 11-9.
 
Up next, the team opens March with a pair of weekend matches, heading to Whitewater Saturday (12:30 p.m. start) before coming right back home to host UC Irvine Sunday (10 a.m.) at River Glen Elite. 
 
Illinois State 6, Milwaukee 1
Singles competition
1. Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) def. Babette Burgersdijk (MKE) 6-3, 6-2
2. Nadiia Konieva (MKE) def. Lana Caculovic (ILS) 7-5, 7-5
3. Nevena Kolarevic (ILS) def. Emilia Durska (MKE) 6-1, 6-2
4. Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) def. Laure Razet (MKE) 6-1, 6-1
5. Nuria Sanz (ILS) def. Sara Simonova (MKE) 5-7, 6-3, 10-8
6. Sofia Rodrigo (ILS) def. Evelina Anastasi (MKE) 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9
Doubles competition
1. Lana Caculovic/Tijana Zlatanovic (ILS) def. Babette Burgersdijk/Sara Simonova (MKE) 6-1
2. Nevena Kolarevic/Silvia Pomarolli (ILS) def. Giorgia Cavestro/Nadiia Konieva (MKE) 7-5
3. Emilia Durska/Iva Stejskalova (MKE) def. Zoe Limparis/Nuria Sanz (ILS) 6-4