SIUC closed its season with a heartbreaking yet fitting finish at the MVC Championships this weekend.

The SIUC women’s tennis team’s disappointing season record could be blamed on their five 5-4 losses during the regular season. The Salukis’ disappointing finish in the MVC Championships could be blamed on another 5-4 loss as well.

The Salukis entered the MVC Championships in Normal with the No. 4 seed, a ranking expected by coach Judy Auld. The Salukis faced Indiana State University for the third consecutive season in the first round of the MVC Championships.

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The Salukis suffered their sixth 5-4 loss of the season, falling to Indiana State in the opening round of the MVC Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.

To top that disappointment, Indiana State defeated SIUC for the third consecutive time in MVC Championships. The Salukis could only hope for a top finish of fifth place.

The Salukis went on to defeat Bradley University 6-0, Southwest Missouri State University 6-3 and the University of Northern Iowa 5-4 to claim fifth place.

The Salukis proved they could beat Indiana State when they defeated them 5-4 during the regular season. Both teams split the singles competition to begin doubles play tied 3-3. The Salukis would need two of the three doubles matches for the victory.

The Salukis could only manage one win in the No. 2 doubles team, as senior Helen Johnson and freshman Keri Crandall defeated Ann-Sofia Bengtsson and Erika Hirth 8-4.

It came down to whoever played the best tennis on that day, Auld said.

The loss eliminated SIUC from a top-four finish in the tournament. The Salukis needed to win the next three matches to get the fifth-place finish.

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The Salukis defeated the No. 10 seed Northern Iowa 6-0. Senior Sanem Berksoy finally surpassed Maureen Harney with 120 career singles victories to become SIUC’s all-time winningest player. Berksoy defeated Bradley’s Alpna Jain in an easy 6-0, 6-0 victory.

She would have preferred to get the record against Indiana State, Auld said. It was kind of anti-climactic, but it is a good achievement.

The Salukis swept all six singles matches without losing a single set. The two teams did not play the doubles portion of the meet since the Salukis had already settled the match.

SIUC then faced Southwest Missouri State University immediately after the Bradley match. Weather forced the match to a gym on the Indiana State campus. The gym floor was marked with many different lines, including basketball lines and volleyball lines.

The background blended in with the tennis ball, causing chaos for both teams. Berksoy had trouble locating the ball and struggled in losing to Tuva Hegna 6-2, 6-1.

Not making any excuses, but some people can make better adjustments than others, Auld said. Sanem had no idea where the ball was.

With both teams battling the surroundings, the two teams entered doubles competition tied 3-3 again. The Salukis again needed two of the three matches, but swept all three for the 6-3 victory.

SIUC then beat Northern Iowa for the fifth-place finish. Once again, the Salukis split the six singles matches to enter doubles tied 3-3. Johnson led the way, defeating Melanie Becker 6-4, 6-0. Junior Maria Villarreal defeated Karen Olson 6-1, 6-0 while Crandall defeated Lisa Shanley 6-1, 6-1.

The Salukis got the two needed doubles wins to claim the victory. The doubles team of Johnson and Crandall came up with an 8-6 victory while juniors Villarreal and Jennifer Robison claimed an easy 8-0 win.

[UNI] has improved tremendously after getting new recruits, Auld said. I am glad we were finally able to turn a 5-4 loss into a win.

In their first season playing together, Johnson and Crandall were selected to the All-Conference team as the No. 2 doubles team. Individual honors included senior Molly Card and Berksoy, who were named to the All-Select team consisting of the top six players in the MVC.

(UNI) was a big win for us Sunday, Auld said. The selections were just the icing on the cake. It’s a nice achievement to have other coaches in the conference show respect to these players and their abilities.

Wichita State University defeated Indiana State University for the MVC crown. Illinois State University took third place, defeating Drake University.

I don’t like having a losing record, Auld said. The record does not show the strength of this team. We had a good year, but the Indiana State loss was disappointing. We finished strong, and overall it was nice to finish on such a positive note with the team and the players being recognized.

The SIUC women’s tennis team finished the regular season 6-11 record and 2-2 in the MVC. The Salukis finished 3-1 in the MVC Championships to take fifth place.