MADISON, Wis. – Seniors Maria Avgerinos and Sydney Rider have truly battled in their final season at Wisconsin, and it's only fitting that their last home match was quite the battle with close matches on all courts. Avgerinos would put a bow on her Nielsen Tennis Stadium career with a win, but it wasn't enough as the Badgers (4-14, 0-8) dropped a 5-2 decision to Purdue on Sunday.

On the doubles courts, the Badgers had their chances but couldn't quite hang on at the end. Wisconsin got out to a quick lead, but eventually fell on courts one and three. Avgerinos and Melissa Pick were knocked off by Purdue's Rafaella Baquerizo and Andjelah Djokovic, 6-1. Meanwhile, Kelsey Grambeau and Christina Zordani teamed up to take down Caitlin Calkins and Deborah Suarez, 6-3. The deciding point was up to Rider and Michelle Linden on court three. In a match that went into extra frames, the Badger duo fell to Purdue's Alex Sabe and Natalia Davila, 7-5.

Following the doubles matches, the Badgers turned to singles to make up lost ground.

Avgerinos jumped out of the gate at the No. 1 position and cruised to a two-set victory over Purdue's Andjela Djokovic, 6-2, 6-2. Avgerinos tallied a pair of Big Ten win of the weekend after posting a win vs. Indiana two days earlier. She is now 15-17 overall.  

Freshman Melissa Pick continues her impressive debut season, improving her Big Ten record above .500 on Sunday. Pick's singles match was the last to finish as she and Deborah Suarez fought to a third set. After splitting the first two sets, 6-4, 4-6, Pick outlasted Suarez, 10-4, in the final stanza.

After tough losses on courts six and two, Rider and Linden tried to keep momentum going on their respective courts in three-set matches.

Linden fought back from a 6-2 loss in the first set to claim a 6-3 victory in the second. Despite a hard fought battle, she was unable to overcome Purdue's Rafaella Baquerizo in the third set, falling 6-3. Similarly, Rider battled back from a 6-2 loss in the first set to take a 7-5 win in the second, but ultimately fell in the third set, 6-3.

The Badgers will travel east next weekend to close out their conference season. Wisconsin will take on Rutgers on Friday, April 21, at 12 p.m. (CT) and Maryland on Sunday, April 23 at 11 a.m. (CT).

Results

Purdue 5 - Wisconsin 2

Singles:

1. Maria Avgerinos (WIS) def. Andjela Djokovic (PUR), 6-2, 6-2
2. Alex Sabe (PUR) def. Kelsey Grambeau (WIS), 6-4, 7-5
3. Rafaella Baquerizo (PUR) def. Michelle Linden (WIS), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
4. Melissa Pick (WIS) vs. Deborah Suarez (PUR), 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (4)
5. Natalia Davila (PUR) def. Sydney Rider (WIS), 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
6. Caitlin Calkins (PUR) def. Christina Zordani (WIS), 6-2, 6-4

Doubles:

1. Baquerizo/Djokovic (PUR) def. Avgerinos/Pick (WIS), 6-1
2. Grambeau/Zordani (WIS) def. Calkins/Suarez (PUR), 6-3
3. Sabe/Davila (PUR) def. Rider/Linden (WIS), 7-5