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Tennis splits final home matches

Senior Ariel Dechter won her final home match of her career 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 over Northern Iowa last weekend.
Photo by Justin Limoges.

In its final homestand of the season, the Bradley tennis team was finally able to break through and earn its first win in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Braves defeated Northern Iowa, and if it had not been for a facility malfunction, they might have been able to pick up a victory against Drake as well.

Bradley started strong in its match against Drake, going up 3-1. However, things took a turn for the worse when the players were forced to change venues in the middle of their match due to a leaky roof.

The Bulldogs took advantage of the switch, rallying for a 4-3 victory against Bradley last Friday afternoon at the Clubs at River City in Peoria.

Head coach Matt Tyler said he won’t put all the blame on the mid-match change in venue as to why the Braves dropped the match.

“It’s hard to say whether the change was able to swing the momentum of the match,” Tyler said. “It was a tough situation, for sure, having to move over to the other building. I think all things considered, we came back out and competed really well.”

The Braves then made a quick turnaround, playing their final home match of the season last Saturday morning while hosting Northern Iowa at the David Markin Tennis Courts.

It was senior day for the Braves as the two winningest players in Bradley tennis history ‒ seniors Ariel Dechter and Ashley Thai ‒ played in their final home match of their careers.

Bradley was plagued with injuries all season long, and it was no exception against Northern Iowa as the Braves went into the match down a player as junior Alejanda de Lasa was unable to play.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries lately, but to be a player down in singles and still come back and win four out of the five singles matches to get a win was huge, and I think it gives the entire team a whole lot of confidence,” Tyler said.

With a default loss at No. 6 singles and down 2-0 in the match, sophomore Malini Wijesinghe started the comeback effort for the Braves, making quick work in her singles match winning 6-0, 6-2. Freshman Natalia Barbery followed with a 6-3, 6-2 win at the No. 2 place, and junior Aimee Manfredo evened the match score at 3-3 with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 come-from-behind win.

It all came down to Dechter in the No. 1 spot to decide the match. Winning her first set 6-4 and falling in her second 3-6, Detcher left it all on the court for her final set on her home court. Detcher refused to take the loss and finished her opponent off in dominating fashion, winning 6-0.

Dechter said she was ecstatic to be able to contribute for her team in her final home match.

“Being able to win my last home match and clinch the point for the team was amazing, and it was a great feeling having everyone cheering for me,” Dechter said. “I was really nervous going in because I had been on a losing streak, so it’s nice to have some confidence going into these last few weeks.”

Bradley will finish their season on the road next weekend. The Braves start their road trip Saturday, as they face the MVC’s top team in Wichita State and then travel to Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday to face Missouri State.

Wichita State has dominated the MVC of late, winning 84 consecutive conference matches. While that might strike fear in other opponents, the Braves are ready to give the Shockers, who are leaving the MVC after this season, a parting gift of a loss.

“We’re in a great situation because we’re not worried about winning or losing. We get to go out there and just play tennis,” Tyler said. “It’s the UConn – Mississippi State scenario where they’re going to lose at some point, and why not it be us. It’s a tremendous opportunity for us, and we look forward to playing them.”

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