Coming into Saturday, Marquette had plenty of confidence after capturing its first BIG EAST title and earning its first ever NCAA Championships appearance. However, Marquette did not have as much reason to celebrate Saturday evening on the drive back from Urbana, Illinois.
No. 9 Illinois (22-7) swept the Golden Eagles (17-7) 4-0 in the first round of the NCAA Championships at Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex in Urbana, Illinois.
Marquette’s No. 1 doubles team — junior Alvaro Verdu and sophomore Brett Meyers — remained competitive throughout the first match, but it had little impact. The match came to an abrupt end at 4-4 when Marquette lost the No.