Sophomore Caroline Ryba approached the net as DePaul players swarmed and hugged junior Yuliya Shupenia. Ryba lost her match in the No. 1 singles spot against Shupenia, which was the deciding factor in the 4-3 loss to DePaul University.
Minnesota won the consolation match against New Mexico to conclude play in the courtside classic.
“I think they did bounce back well,” head coach Chuck Merzbacher said. “They lost to a team that was good and beat a team that was good. … We’re a work in progress, but we’re getting there.”
The Gophers lost the doubles point for the first time all season to go down in the dual 1-0.
The Gophers played the consolation match against New Mexico on Sunday.
The Gophers won the doubles point with senior Paula Rincon-Otero and freshman Annemarie Emme earning the victory to conclude doubles play.
Redshirt senior Julia Courter won her match 7-5, 6-0 to tie up the dual against New Mexico. Courter is 9-5 overall.
“This season, I think I’m playing really well,” Courter said. “I’m really excited for my last year, and I want go out with a bang. Just giving it all I can in practice.”
Men lose two matches
Minnesota lost two matches at home to fall to 2-4 on the spring season.
The Gophers lost to South Florida 7-0 at home on Friday and to Wisconsin 4-3 on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t change anything that we did in practice, and of course it’s tough to lose those games,” senior Ruben Weber said. “We were pumped up; we thought we had a chance to beat South Florida. I don’t think the score reflected how the game went, 7-0, and then today, obviously, it was super tough.”
Minnesota lost two doubles matches to South Florida to concede the doubles point and lost all six singles matches in a blowout loss.
The Gophers were able to earn the doubles point Sunday against Wisconsin.
Weber was a part of one of the Gophers’ two doubles victories and also won his singles match 6-3, 6-3.
“Today I was really happy with [the singles match],” Weber said. “I did everything I wanted to do.”
Minnesota lost four of the other five singles matches to lose the dual.
The two teams were tied 3-3 with only the No. 1 singles match ongoing.
Sophomore Matic Spec won the first set but was unable to finish off sophomore Josef Dodridge in the second, and Dodridge came back to win the third and finish the dual.
“It’s a long match, and it’s tough for Matic because he was up 5-1 in both sets and then it got away from him,” head coach Geoff Young said. “The guy was a really good, big player, and it was a really good match for him to learn from.”
