OMAHA, Neb. (Feb. 17) - The Creighton women's tennis team fell 6-1 to Illinois State in its Missouri Valley Conference opener at the Hanscom Tennis Center Sunday afternoon.

Sophomore Jennie Hartjes led Creighton (1-3, 0-1 MVC) at the No. 1 singles spot with a straight-set win to claim a point for the Bluejays. Illinois State (5-2, 1-0 MVC) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by sweeping the doubles matches.

The Redbird duo of Kadi Ilves and Emmie Marx won an 8-2 decision over CU senior Anna Kirshenbaum and freshman partner Sam Anderson on court one. In No. 2 doubles ISU's Phyllis Tigges and Stefanie Youngberg claimed the doubles point with an 8-3 win over the Creighton tandem of Hartjes and freshman Karlin Naslund. At the No. 3 spot the Bluejay pairing of sophomore Amanda Noonan and junior Analese Snyder fell 8-5 to Carolina Abello and Heather Nisbet of Illinois State.

Hartjes was the first off the court in singles with an easy 6-1, 6-1 win on court one over Tigges. Kirshenbaum was the final Bluejay on the court in a three-set match decided by a superbreaker on court three. Kirshenbaum won the first set 6-4 but Ilves fought back in the second stanza to win 6-3 and force a third set. The Redbird claimed the breaker at 10-4 to conclude the match.

Creighton sophomore Liz Vermillion claimed four games in each set in a 6-4, 6-4 setback on court five to Youngberg. At No. 4 singles, Noonan pushed Abello to extra games in set one before dropping it 7-5. The visitor closed out the match in the second at 6-2.

Naslund saw her first singles action of the season in a 6-1, 6-4 downfall on court six to ISU's Gabby Phillips. Snyder dropped to 1-3 at No. 2 singles after a 6-2, 6-2 setback to Marx.

Creighton concludes its three-match home stand with a non-conference contest against Arkansas-Little Rock at noon Tuesday on the Hanscom Tennis Center courts.

Illinois State vs. Creighton

Feb 17, 2013 at Omaha, Neb.

(Hanscom Tennis Center)

Illinois State 6, Creighton 1

Singles

1. Jennie Hartjes (CU) def. Phyllis Tigges (ILS) 6-1, 6-1

2. Emmie Marx (ILS) def. Analese Snyder (CU) 6-2, 6-2

3. Kadi Ilves (ILS) def. Anna Kirshenbaum (CU) 4-6, 6-3, 10-4

4. Carolina Abello (ILS) def. Amanda Noonan (CU) 7-5, 6-2

5. Stefanie Youngberg (ILS) def. Liz Vermillion (CU) 6-4, 6-4

6. Gabby Phillips (ILS) def. Karlin Naslund (CU) 6-1, 6-4

Order of finish: 1, 2, 6, 5, 4, 3

Doubles

1. Kadi Ilves/Emmie Marx (ILS) def. Anna Kirshenbaum/Sam Anderson (CU) 8-2

2. Phyllis Tigges/Stefanie Youngberg (ILS) def. Jennie Hartjes/Karlin Naslund (CU) 8-3

3. Carolina Abello/Heather Nisbet (ILS) def. Analese Snyder/Amanda Noonan (CU) 8-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3