VALPARAISO, Ind.-- The Illinois State women's tennis team (14-7, 7-2 MVC) defeated the Drake Bulldogs (5-16, 2-7 MVC) in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Missouri Conference Championships by a score of 4-2 inside The Courts of Northwest Indiana hosted by Valparaiso University.

Head coach Maja Kovacek was pleased with the team's resilience "We started the match with great energy and played the big points well in doubles and that really made the difference. Singles was a total team effort. I'm really proud of everyone for fighting through injuries and a lot of adversity to come away with the win," Kovacek said.

Illinois State claimed the doubles point with wins from juniors Lana Caculovic (Dugo Selo, Croatia) and Silvia Pomarolli (Cecina, Italy) at No. 1 by a 6-4 final over Jessica Popiol/Jana Ruzic. Graduate student Elena Jankulovska (Skopje, Macedonia) and freshman Emma Lindh (Malmo, Sweden) clinched the point with an identical 6-4 victory at the No. 2 position against Elizabet Klavinska/Shiori Takeda.

As competition shifted to singles play, the Birds picked up three wins. Caculovic picked up a straight-set win over Drake's Popiol at No. 1 by a score of 6-2, 6-2. At No 2, Pomarolli battled to a 6-2, 6-2 victory for the third win of the day over Klavinska. Nicole Iosio (Cordenons, Italy) secured the match for the Redbirds defeating Tess Caldicott, 7-5, 6-2.

Doubles:

No. 1- Lana Caculovic/Silvia Pomarolli (ISU) def. Popiol/Ruzic (DU) 6-4

No. 2- Elena Jankulovska/Emma Lindh (ISU) def. Klavinska/Takeda (DU) 6-4

No. 3- Nicole Iosio/Zoe Limparis (ISU) vs Caldicott/Lee (DU) 6-5, Unfinished

Singles:

No. 1- Lana Caculovic (ISU) def. Popiol (DU) 6-4, 6-3

No. 2- Silvia Pomarolli (ISU) def.  Klavinska (DU) 6-2, 6-2

No. 3-  Takeda (DU) def. Lindh (ISU) 6-4, 6-1

No. 4- Ruzic (DU) def. Nuria Sanz (ISU) 6-2, 6-0

No. 5- Nicole Iosio (ISU) def. Caldicott (DU) 7-5, 6-2

No. 6- Sophie Marie Lowe (ISU) vs.  Lee (DU) 6-3, 3-1, Unfinished

UP NEXT-

Illinois State advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference semifinals where they will face No. 2 seeded UIC on Saturday April 26. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. (C.T)

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