The Milwaukee women’s tennis team faced a tough challenge against Northern Iowa on Saturday afternoon, narrowly losing 4-3 at River Glen Elite. Despite dealing with multiple injuries and fielding a roster of only five players, the MKE Panthers (5-6) pushed the UNI Panthers (2-9) to their limits.
Milwaukee was without three key players: Nadiia Konieva, Nikola Nikolajeva, and Sara Simonova. Head coach Mark Goldin commented on the team’s resilience: “We really have that ‘next-up’ mentality. It gave a few players who hadn’t been in the lineup a chance to really show what they can do.”
The match began positively for Milwaukee as they claimed the doubles point. Coach Goldin noted, “The doubles point was big.” The duo of Laure Razet and Elisa Rubio secured a 6-1 victory over Darta Dalecka and Lorena Cardoso at No. 1 doubles. Giorgia Cavestro and Emilia Durska followed with a comeback win at No. 2 doubles, clinching their match 7-6 (7-1).
In singles play, Laure Razet delivered another victory for Milwaukee by defeating Cardoso 6-3, 6-3. However, UNI regained the lead with wins in other singles matches.
Emilia Durska showcased her determination at No. 3 singles by coming from behind to win her match 4-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7-3), leveling the overall score. The deciding match took place at No. 1 singles where Elisa Rubio forced a third set but ultimately fell short against Darta Dalecka.
Reflecting on the effort displayed by his team, Goldin expressed pride in maintaining their team identity: “We focus hard on a sheet we create in the beginning of the year on team identity – how we want other teams to talk about us after matches.”
Looking ahead, Milwaukee will travel to Florida for matches starting March 18 against Connecticut at the USTA Center in Orlando.
Northern Iowa won over Milwaukee with an overall score of 4 to 3.
