Blue Demons Battle Purdue and Tulsa in Indiana

CHICAGO – DePaul heads to the Hoosier State for weekend tilts against the Purdue Boilermakers and the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. The Blue Demons face the Boilermakers at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Feb. 15, before taking on the Golden Hurricanes at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday. Both matches will be held at the Schwartz Tennis Center in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Two years ago, DePaul matched up against both teams in a similar fashion with Purdue hosting the Blue Demons and Golden Hurricanes during the 2023 campaign. DePaul holds a 2-2 record versus Tulsa in program history. DePaul graduate assistant coach Vera Ploner played for the Golden Hurricanes from 2016 to 2021.

The Blue Demons have a quick turnaround after playing Iowa on Sunday. Head coach Marisa Arce understands the importance of efficient practices during a short week.

"This is a quick week of practice, and we've been super intentional with our time. We feel ready and look forward to another great opportunity against Purdue and Tulsa," said Arce.

DePaul (4-3, 1-0 BIG EAST) returns to action following a 1-1 weekend in the Hawkeye State. No. 1 doubles Eva Goncharov and Hannah Smith earned the BIG EAST Doubles Team of the Week award for their stellar performances. The Blue Demons visited Drake to open the weekend on Friday, Feb. 7. Goncharov and Smith defeated Elizabete Klavinska and Tess Caldicott, 7-5 in doubles, and DePaul wouldn't look back. Stula dominated, 6-4, 6-0 in her first appearance on court two this season. Goncharov clinched the match for the fourth time in dual play with a 6-1, 6-3 win in slot four. Freshman Isabella Gibson and senior Eleanor Nobbs each added singles points on courts five and three, respectively, capping off the Blue Demons' 6-1 triumph.

The Scarlet and Blue battled the Iowa Hawkeyes two days later. Goncharov and Smith carried their momentum holding a 6-4 advantage. No. 2 doubles, sophomore Roberta Sechi and Nobbs secured the doubles point with a narrow, 7-5 edge. However, the Hawkeyes collected singles matches on courts one through four, ultimately taking the match 4-1.

Purdue (4-1) enters competition after a 4-0 start at home. The Boilermakers feature four ITA-ranked singles players, led by No. 73 Fatima Gutierrez. Laura Glitz is in her 18th season as Purdue's head coach and is the winningest coach in program history, holding a 203-180 record.

Tulsa begins the weekend with a 7-2 record, having only lost to Ole Miss and No. 12 Oklahoma. Dean Orford leads the Golden Hurricanes in his 20th season as head coach. Orford is 352-137 since taking over the program in 2005, ranking 16th among active Division I coaches in win percentage (.719).

UP NEXT
DePaul travels to Omaha, Nebraska, for two matches next weekend against Omaha and Creighton. The contest with the Mavericks is set for Friday, Feb. 21 at the Miracle Hill Tennis Center. The Blue Demons face the Blue Jays on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Hanscom Tennis Courts.

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Blue Demons Battle Purdue and Tulsa in Indiana

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Players Mentioned

Isabella Gibson

Eva Goncharov

Eleanor Nobbs

Roberta Sechi

Hannah Smith