Tennis

MITCH RIPORTELLA | Staff Reporter

Butler women’s tennis is coming off a busy weekend, with the team playing as many matches as it has all season—four—in three days. The team matched its 1-3 record over the four-game span and is now 2-6 on the year.

The Bulldogs kicked off the weekend with a double-header Friday against Southeastern Missouri State and the University of Indianapolis. The Bulldogs dropped their first match of the day to Southeastern, losing 5-2, but came back with a 4-3 victory over UIndy. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bulldogs.

Leading the Bulldogs was senior captain Stephanie McLoughlin, who was perfect on the day in the No. 1 singles spot. McLoughlin squeaked by SEMO freshman Valerie Kashina, 7-5, 4-6, 10-2 in her first match, and then came up with a 6-3, 5-7, 10-8 win over UIndy sophomore Allie Smith.

The Bulldogs’ momentum did not carry into Saturday, however, where they were trounced by the 39th-ranked Indiana University 7-0.

The Bulldogs lost every singles match in straight sets, as the Hoosiers improved to 6-1 on the year.

Sunday would not turn out to be much better for Butler, as the team finished the weekend by being swept 7-0 at home against Illinois State. All three of Butler’s doubles teams were swept 6-0, and every singles match was once again decided in straight sets.

The Bulldogs will have a break before taking on University of Cincinnati (1-5) at home Friday.

The men’s team continued its four-game win streak and improved to 4-1 Saturday with a commanding 7-0 victory over Bradley University. The shutout was Butler’s first since the 2010 season, when the team had three.

The No. 3 doubles team of junior Pulok Bhattacharya and sophomore Brandon Woods helped save the shutout by securing the doubles point in a 6-4 victory, after the Woldmoe brothers were defeated 6-2 in the No. 2 spot.

Woods also came in clutch in singles with a close 5-6, 6-3, 6-3 win in the No. 4 spot. Also winning in dramatic fashion was junior Sam O’Neil in a 4-6, 6-5, 6-2 in the No. 2 spot.

The Bulldogs will be at home today against the UIndy team (3-0) in a crosstown showdown. The Greyhounds are coming off of a win against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianpolis and will look to end Butler’s five-game win streak.

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