Women’s tennis hits stride in singles, doubles

Jana Knoppe (left), with head coach Shannon Tully, won her doubles match Saturday. Photo: Steve Woltmann

The women’s tennis team captured the doubles point and cruised to four singles wins for a 5-2 nonconference win over Toledo in a dual match at Match Point Tennis Saturday.

UIC was down in doubles play but ground out wins at both the No. 1 and No. 2 flights to jump out to a 1-0 lead heading into singles play.

Haley Craig and Mariana Palacios posted an 8-6 victory at the No. 1 doubles position, followed by an 8-7 [7-2] pro-set win by Kathryn Sharples and Jana Knoppe at No. 2.

UIC’s third doubles duo of Natalia Kuvakina and Ann-Sophie Hahn dropped an 8-6 decision in a match that didn’t factor into the team doubles point.

Toledo posted wins in both the No. 1 and No. 2 singles flights, but UIC later took control of the
match.

At the third singles flight, Palacios defeated her opponent in three sets, including tiebreakers in the second and third frames.

Sharples recorded a straight-set win (6-3, 6-3) at No. 4 singles, and sophomore Keti Mebuke won a three-setter (3-6, 6-2, 7-5) at the No. 6 position after dropping the first set.

Knoppe was credited the win at fifth singles after her opponent retired just three games into the first set.

UIC begins a four-match road trip Saturday, traveling to Kalamazoo, Mich., to take on Western Michigan at 1 p.m.