March 24, 2013
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 37 Nittany Lions (11-2, 1-2) weren't able to upset the No. 21 Boilermakers (11-1, 3-0) for the second straight season, falling 7-0 in West Lafayette Sunday afternoon. It was the first time the Nittany Lions have been shut out since losing at home on April 3, 2011 to No. 18 Northwestern.
The Boilermakers started off strong and rode out the momentum shutting out the Nittany Lions 7-0 winning all eight of the finished matches on the day. For the 11th time in 12 matches this season Purdue started off the match winning the doubles point.
Imogen Golder and Gisella Pere gave Purdue a quick 1-0 lead in the doubles event besting Marie-Frederique Bedard and Katherine Whiteaway 8-3. Purdue seized the doubles point when their top duo, and the nation's No. 38 ranked pair of Mara Schmidt and Krisztina Kapitany topped the No. 57 ranked pair of Petra Janusova and Chelsea Utting 8-3. The No. 2 doubles match went unfinished with Carmen Sandor and Devan McCluskey leading Lynda Xepoleas and Daniela Vidal 6-5 before it was called.
After a tight start, Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum pulled away winning the final ten games of the match defeating Sandor, 6-2, 6-0. Daniela Vidal put the Boilermakers up 3-0 in the match knocking off McCluskey 6-0, 6-2 in the No. 3 position.
Purdue clinched the victory with their fourth point of the match when Golder came from behind in the first set to top Bedard 7-5, 6-1. The loss was Bedard's first singles loss on the season and her first time in the No. 5 spot this season.
After going down a set Sarah Henderson stormed back to take the second set against Pere but couldn't hold on losing 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. No. 41 Januskova's match also went to three sets with Xepoleas pulling out the victory, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Utting and Schmidt were the last to finish also going to three sets to settle it. After going down in the first Utting won the tiebreaker in the second to send it to a super breaker. After going down 7-3, Utting received two penalties with the second being a game penalty giving the Schmidt the win and Purdue their 7-0 victory.
The Nittany Lions will look to rebound from this loss next weekend at home when they host Iowa and Nebraska. Their match with the Hawkeyes is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 29 and then with the Cornerhuskers at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 31.
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