This past Friday, UNI women’s tennis played their final game of the 2022 season against the Bradley Braves in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. UNI was the number-six seed, entering the tournament with a 5-13 record overall and a 1-6 record in conference play. Bradley was the number-three seed, entering the tournament with a 9-13 record and a 3-2 MVC record.

        The doubles matchups were close. UNI’s Andrijana Brkic and Thaissa Moreira fell 6-4 to Bozana Lojpur and Nicola Perlwitz. Emma Carr and Issa Sullivan also fell to Nina Marjanovic and Maria Bezmenova 6-4. The final doubles match between Kristin Hailey and Madalena Andrade for the Braves and Darta Dalecka and Lorena Cardoso for the Panthers was tied at 6-6, but since Bradley had already clinched the doubles point with two wins, the game was abandoned.

        Bradley added two quick singles wins to take a 3-0 lead. Sullivan fell to Perlwitz in sets of 6-1 and 6-3, and Carr fell to Andrade in sets of 7-6 and 6-2. The Panthers took the next two singles matches to cut the lead to one at 3-2. First, Dalecka knocked off Lojpur, winning the first and third sets at 6-3 and 6-4, but dropping the second set 7-5. Cardoso then took down Hailey by coming back after dropping the first set 6-3 with sets of 7-6 and 6-2.

        UNI’s Moreira faced Marjanovic with the chance to tie the score at three, but fell in three sets, winning the second set 7-6, but losing the other two sets 6-3 and 6-4. This gave Bradley the 4-2 win. Since the game was decided, the final singles match between Brkic and Bezmenova was abandoned. Bezmenova won the first set 7-5 and was leading in set three 4-2, with Brkic winning the second set 7-6.

        The Purple and Gold ended the 2022 spring season with a 5-14 record. None of the six players who played in this game were seniors, meaning UNI can build on this season by returning key players who have added experience throughout this season.