TULSA, Okla.- Western Illinois women's tennis fell short of winning three straight matches after losing a close match 4-3 at Oral Roberts. The Leathernecks are now 8-13 overall and 2-1 in Summit League play while the Golden Eagles improve to 13-9 overall and 3-2 in the league.
 
"We were so close to winning the match," head coach Mirko Bjelica said. "It came down to the final singles match and we were two points for winning. The girls gave it all they had. We must look forward to next weekend."
 
Courtney Lubbers and Jenna Wallace dominated in the No. 1 doubles match against Ceijenia Corneluis and Andrea Vasiljevic of Oral Roberts. The duo won 6-3 but their victory did not carry over into the No. 2 doubles spot when Jovana Anotonijevic and Petya Simeonova shut out the combo of Laura Ballesteros and Natalia Bravo 6-0. Western secured the doubles point behind a 7-5 victory from Anna Daniel Fuentes and Cary Milanes over the pair of Brenda Mercado Jove and Ximena Puentes.
 
Oral Roberts' top singles player Corneluis lost the first set to Lubbers in the No.1 singles spot 6-0 but rebounded to win the next two sets 6-2 and 7-6 (won tiebreaker 7-5). Cornelius evened up the match early for the Golden Eagles 1-1.
 
Bravo kept up her stellar play by winning to final two sets to defeat Vasiljevic 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
 
At the No. 3 spot, Anna Daniel Fuentes also lost the first set 6-4 but recovered to beat Antonijevic 6-3, 6-3 in the final two sets to put Western in control of the match.
 
The back three positions for the Golden Eagles came through as Simeonova edged Ballesteros 6-4, 6-1 followed by Mercado Jove besting Wallace 6-3, 6-2.
 
It all came down to the No. 6 singles match and Puentes put away Milanes 6-1, 6-3 to win the match for Oral Roberts.
 
Up next, the Leathernecks conclude Summit League play by playing host to South Dakota State on Saturday (April 22) at 10 a.m. and Denver on Sunday (April 23) at 9 a.m.
 
Match Results:
 
No. 1 doubles- Courtney Lubbers/Jenna Wallace (WIU) def. Ceijenia Cornelius/Andrea Vasiljevic (Oral Roberts) 6-3
No. 2 doubles- Jovana Antonijevic/Petya Simeonova (Oral Roberts) def. Natalia Bravo/Laura Ballasteros (WIU) 6-0
No. 3 doubles- Cary Milanes/Anna Daniel Fuentes (WIU) def. Brenda Mercado Jove/Ximena Puentes (Oral Roberts) 7-5
 
No. 1 singles- Cornelius (Oral Roberts) def. Lubbers (WIU) 0-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
No. 2 singles- Bravo (WIU) def. Vasiljevic (Oral Roberts) 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 singles- Daniel Fuentes (WIU) def. Antonijevic (Oral Roberts) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 singles- Simeonova (Oral Roberts) def. Ballesteros (WIU) 6-4, 6-1
No. 5 singles- Mercado (Oral Roberts) def. Wallace (WIU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 singles- Puentes (Oral Roberts) def. Milanes (WIU) 6-1, 6-3