The Bradley tennis team (1-3) lost a tough match last Saturday against Southeast Missouri State by a score of 5-2. This is the fourth consecutive year these teams have met, with the Redhawks winning three of those contests.
Head coach Matt Tyler considers the matchup a rivalry.
“We’ve gone back and forth the last couple of years,” Tyler said. “I think they’ve had the best of us for quite a while (except for last year), but it’s certainly a team that we play well against and they’re always tough, so it’s a good matchup.”
Junior Sandra Maletin thinks playing a team multiple times is advantageous for both sides.
“We already know how they play, so I would say that’s an advantage [for us],” Maletin said. “But because we know how they play, they can surprise us with new players or with a new kind of game.”
Maletin wasn’t surprised on Saturday, as she and senior Natalia Barbery won at No. 1 doubles 6-3, tying the program record for most wins as a duo with 42. As a result of their performance in the top spot, the two were named the Missouri Valley Conference’s doubles team of the week. However, the Braves lost their early leads at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, dropping both sets 6-4.
Tyler knows how important securing the doubles point is for the team’s confidence.
“It makes a big difference,” Tyler said. “It allows everybody to relax going into their singles matches, knowing that we only need to win three matches instead of four.”
The Braves have only captured the doubles point once this season when they picked it up in their match against Eastern Michigan.
“We always talk about trying to stay real level with [doubles],” Tyler said. “We don’t get too excited when we win it and we don’t get too down when we lose it, but the reality is I think it makes a big difference when we do win it.”
The Braves’ two points came from singles. Maletin picked up her third straight win at the No. 1 flight, 6-3, 6-1, and sophomore Bozana Lojpur got her third win of the season at the No. 2 flight, winning 7-5, 7-6(5).
Maletin said there’s no confidential strategy that keeps her at the top.
“I’m just trying to give my best at practice,” Maletin said. “And then when we play, I try to do the same thing I just practiced. There’s not much secret there.”
Overall, Tyler liked how his team played on Saturday but knows there’s still room for improvement.
“I think we competed really well,” Tyler said. “Going into this next week, a lot more doubles play and just working on the competitive mindset. I think we’re getting better but it’s certainly something we need to improve upon.”
The Braves will look to bounce back today against SIU-Edwardsville at 2 p.m. and tomorrow against Chicago State at 1 p.m.
