Racers Edge Redbirds - Win 13th Straight MVC Match - Murray State University Athletics

Friday, April 4

Murray, KY

11 a.m.

Murray State

Illinois State

Photo by: John Wright/Ledger & Times

Racers Edge Redbirds - Win 13th Straight MVC Match

4/4/2025 8:59:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Results

MSU moves to 3-0 In the Valley in the second straight season of high-level performances

Murray State women's tennis moved to 3-0 in defense of their Missouri Valley Conference championship from a year ago, after a 4-3 win over the Illinois State Redbirds at Kenlake Tennis Center in Aurora, Kentucky. With the win, the Racers have won 13 straight matches in the Valley over the last two seasons.

"Playing Illinois State indoors is no easy task and losing the doubles point made things even harder, but I am very proud of this team," said MSU head coach Jorge Caetano. "Even though we are so young, we played like veterans today, handling the pressure and the big points very well."

The Racers have won their last seven matches and are 10-6 overall as they host the Bradley Braves Sunday at noon. A decision on the location of the match will be made for either outdoors at Bennie Purcell Courts in Murray, or at the KenLake Tennis Center.

After losing the doubles point, the Racers took about an hour into the single competition to flip the match in their favor. MSU's Japanese duo of Yuna Kadowaki and Yu Kikawa dominated their opponents and scored straight-set victories and the Racers had a 2-1 lead.

With the match tied 2-2, MSU's three veterans from MSU's 2024 Championship Team, Valeria Chaikovskaia, Varya Alexeyeva and Paola Campigotto needed to get two wins to take the day.

All three matches went the distance as the sophomore duo of Chaikovskaia and Alexeyeva delivered the match to the home team. After falling in the first set tie-breaker, Alexeyeva defeated the 2024 MVC Newcomer of the Year Lana Caculovic 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 to make it a 3-2 MSU lead.

Chaikovskaia won her third set 6-2 to clinch the win as the Racers won the rematch with ISU after their meeting in 2024 for the MVC title.

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Illinois State 3, Murray State 4
Kenlake Tennis Center – Aurora, Ky.
April 4, 2025

Singles
CHAIKOVSKAIA, Valeria def. POMAROLLI, Silvia (ISU) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
ALEXEYEVA, Varvara (MSU) def CACULOVIC, Lana (ISU) 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
KADOWAKI, Yuna (MSU) def. LINDH, Emma (ISU) 6-0, 6-3
KIKAWA, Yu (MSU) def JANKULOVSKA, Elena (ISU) 6-2, 6-2
IOSIO, Nicole (ISU) def. MELATO, Bruna (MSU) 6-3, 6-1
LOWE, Sophie (ISU) def. CAMPIGOTTO, Paola (MSU) 7-6, 4-6, (10-3)

Doubles
CHAIKOVSKAIA, Valeria (MSU)/MELATO, Bruna (MSU) def. CACULOVIC, Lana/POMAROLLI, Silvia (ISU) 6-2
LINDH, Emma/JANKULOVSKA, Elena (ISU) def. KIKAWA, Yu/KADOWAKI, Yuna (MSU) 6-3
IOSIO, Nicole/LIMPARIS, Zoe (ISU) def. CAMPIGOTTO, Paola/ALEXEYEVA, Varvara (MSU) 6-4