Injuries took their toll on the Saint Louis University men’s tennis team, as Illinois State beat the Billikens 7-0 in matches on Saturday. Last weekend’s series marked the third consecutive outing in which the Bills have dressed only four players. Each time represented a loss for SLU.
The Bills (3-9) started the day in a deep hole that they could not fight their way out of. Because of injuries, SLU could only participate in four of the seven matches.
In order to salvage the best-of-seven set, the Bills would have to win each of the matches in which they participated.
Despite the necessity of a win from every player on the courts, none could pull out a victory. Freshman Sean McManus started the day by dropping the No. 1 singles match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1. Sophomore Paul Feder fell in the No. 2 spot, also in straight sets, but by scores of 6-4, 6-2.
McManus and Feder played together in the No. 1 doubles slot, but even combined, they could not put much up against the Redbirds’ top team. ISU took the game by a margin of 8-1. Neither of the other two Billikens could cage the Redbirds either. Freshman Adam Reeb fell 6-1, 6-2, and Kyle Schoff dropped two sets without putting up any points, 6-0, 6-0.
Even when Reeb and Schoff combined their efforts in the No. 2 doubles match, the team could not muster up any points.
After the No. 2 doubles dropped the match 8-0, SLU finished the series without winning a single set and only took 11 games in the series. SLU forfeited the Nos. 5 and 6 singles and No. 3 doubles matches in the series.
The men will take on the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday in St. Louis. The first match starts at 4 p.m.
The women’s team did not fare much better in competition over the last week, as they fell 5-2 to Indiana State and 7-0 to Kansas, on consecutive days.
Indiana State took an early lead and did not look back, as they took two of the three doubles matches to earn the first point of the day. Juniors Amanda Hellberg and Ana Renda took the only match for SLU by tallying a score of 8-6. Junior Katerina Lozanova and sophomore Tara Grant fell to ISU in the No. 1 slot, and sophomore Rachel McCullagh and freshman Caitlin Bokulic dropped their match in the No. 3 slot.
Lozanova, Hellberg and Renda all fell in the top three spots during their singles matches. Grant grabbed the only other point for the Bills by taking her match in the No. 4 slot by way of a tie breaker, 6-7, 6-3, (12-10).
Jo Becker lost her No. 5 match, but McCullagh took the No. 6 match by a score of 6-1, 6-1.
After the disappointing showing in St. Louis on Friday, the Bills traveled to Lawrence, Kan., on Saturday to face the Jayhawks of KU. The women’s side shared the same tough-luck fate of the men’s team, falling without taking a point.
The Bills had a tough time dealing with KU (9-6), as the Jayhawks powered through the lineup. Hellberg dropped the No. 1 match 6-3, 6-2, and was followed by Renda falling 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 2 spot.
Hellberg and Renda also fell in the No. 1 doubles match, by a tally of 8-2. KU continued to motor through the SLU team as Grant and Becker each lost in their No. 3 and No. 4 singles pairings and could not come through in the doubles set, either. The pair also fell as a tandem in the No. 2 doubles spot, and KU pulled out an 8-2 victory.
McCullagh and Bokulic could not fare any better than their teammates, as they too fell in their No. 5 and No. 6 singles slots and in their doubles pairing. KU dropped McCullagh and Bokulic by a score of 8-1 to complete the sweep.
Things continued to go against the Bills on Wednesday; their third match-up this week proved to be equally unforgiving. SLU took to the courts against Illinois State, but the Redbirds won out 5-2, completely sweeping the Billiken men’s and women’s teams during the week.
SLU managed only two points during the series, picking up tallies in singles matches. Hellberg won in the No. 2 slot, and McCullagh took her No. 6 match, each in straight sets. Hellberg and McCullagh both dropped their doubles matches in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. Hellberg was paired with Renda, and Bokulic took the loss with McCullagh.
Lozanova lost in her No. 1 singles match and in the No. 1 doubles position, despite being paired with Grant. Renda, Grant and Becker each took losses in their respective singles matches.
The women’s team will return to action on Thursday in St. Louis, when they take on Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The first match begins at 3:30 p.m.
