In a back-and-forth match that came down to the final points, the Longhorns were edged by a 4-3 margin.

The team dropped two out of three doubles matches, and although their resiliency reared its head yet again in a thrilling set of singles matches, Illinois proved to be too much for Texas.

Noel Scott and Lina Padegimaite started the afternoon with an 8-4 loss. The match was closer than the score indicates, but the duo of Illinois came through late in the match.

The Longhorns bounced back with 9-8 win from Krista Damico and Cierra Gaytan-Leach. The pair has won three straight matches in doubles play.

Texas closed out doubles competition with an 8-6 loss giving the Fighting Illini a 1-0 lead entering singles competition.
Freshman Padegimaite led the charge of the team by winning her singles match in straight sets. The victory puts her win total at nine for the season.

Despite a win from Padegimaite, the women dropped the next two matches and fell into a 3-1 hole. Elizabeth Begley emerged victorious in a back-and-forth three set affair to give the Longhorns their second point of the match.

Illinois clinched the winning point in the fifth match, but that didn’t stop the Longhorn’s newly emerging star from making more waves.

Senior Krista Damico pushed her win streak to 11 matches in that most exciting match of the afternoon. Damico dropped the second set of the match after handily winning the first. The third and deciding set saw the ladies separated by only two points, with Damico emerging as the victor over No. 92 ranked Allison Falkin. Although the match was lost, Damico’s winning streak was extended and her win spoke volumes for the spirit of this team.

The women will get a well deserved week off before continuing Big 12 Conference play.

Printed on Thursday, March 22, 2012 as: Horns fall short against Fighting Illini