In a battle of Top 10 teams in the Midwest Region, No. 2 Drury handed sixth ranked UMSL their first loss of the season with a 5-4 score.

The nationally 14^th-ranked Panthers improved to 15-2 overall, and 2-1 in GLVC play for the year, while UMSL fell to 11-1, 3-1 GLVC.

JiaQing Mo and Lara Muller remained at the top of the lineup for the Panthers, taking their match in dominating fashion, 8-3, over the Tritons' Kristine Lindal and Carlota Trevino.  UMSL's Salome Bleuler and Patricia Maya fought past Arianna Demos and Larissa Karl at No. 2 for a 9-7 win to make it 1-1.  Josephine Jedrychowski and Chung-Yen Huang gave the Panthers some momentum, and a 2-1 lead, with a 9-8 victory at No. 3 over Marina Prediger and Jennifer Hauer.

Karl, ranked 44^th-nationally, proved why she is one of the best players in the country, with a 6-2, 6-0 performance at the top of the Panther lineup, to make it 3-1 Drury.  UMSL would not go down easy, winning at the 4th spot 6-3, 6-3 to cut the lead to 3-2.  Yen-Huang helped Drury to pull back out to a two point advantage, with a sound beating of Lindal at No. 3 by a 6-1, 6-3 final.

UMSL won back-to-back points to put the pressure on the Panthers, taking No. 6 by a 6-2, 6-4 score, and winning at No. 2 over DU 7-6, 6-0.  With all eyes on court 5, Mo, now 12-3 on the season, would come through for the Panthers with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Maya.

"Our teams played with a great deal of passion today," said Drury head coach Jarrod Smith.  "We really stepped up our energy level today and won some big points.  I believe that were are getting better and more unified as the season moves on and as we move into the championships."

On April 8, Drury will face Maryville in a GLVC home match, set for an 11 a.m. start at Cooper Tennis Complex.

#14 Drury University 5, Missouri-St. Louis 4
Apr 07, 2017 at Springfield, MO (Cooper Tennis Complex)

Singles competition

1. #44 Larissa Karl (DU) def. Jennifer Hauer (UMSLW) 6-2, 6-0

2. Salome Bleuler (UMSLW) def. Lara Muller (DU) 7-6, 6-0

3. Chung-Yen Huang (DU) def. Kristine Lindal (UMSLW) 6-1, 6-3

4. Carlota Trevino (UMSLW) def. J. Jedrychowski (DU) 6-3, 6-3

5. JiaQing Mo (DU) def. Patricia Maya (UMSLW) 6-1, 7-5

6. Marina Prediger (UMSLW) def. Arianna Demos (DU) 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. Lara Muller/JiaQing Mo (DU) def. Kristine Lindal/Carlota Trevino (UMSLW) 8-3

2. Salome Bleuler/Patricia Maya (UMSLW) def. Arianna Demos/Larissa Karl (DU) 9-7

3. J. Jedrychowski/Chung-Yen Huang (DU) def. Marina Prediger/Jennifer Hauer (UMSLW) 9-8

Match Notes

Missouri-St. Louis 11-1, 3-1 GLVC; Regional ranking #6

Drury University 15-2, 2-1 GLVC; National ranking #14; Regional ranking #2