[media-credit name=’BRYAN FAUST/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]SOUTH BEND, Ind. — With key players sidelined due to illness and others sniffling on the court, the Wisconsin women's tennis team dropped both of its matches on the weekend, falling 7-0 to Brigham Young University at home Friday before losing 6-1 to Notre Dame on the road Sunday.

The No. 51 Badgers were outplayed by No. 20 BYU, as Wisconsin ace Caitlin Burke, battling a nasty cough, was scratched from the singles lineup prior to game time, joining teammate Kaylan Caiati off the court. As a result, sophomores Nicole Beck and Chelsea Nusslock were forced to man the team's top two flights.

"It was just rough because a lot of the team was sick," freshman Liz Carpenter said. "And everyone just had to step up and try to do what they had to do."

No. 28 Burke returned to the singles lineup Sunday, but only after pairing with Beck on the doubles court to hand the Fighting Irish what would prove to be only their second pro set loss on the spring frame. The Badgers defeated the No. 31 tandem of Brook Buck and Kelcy Tefft 8-7(1) in a close match that saw the No. 32 Wisconsin duo surrender a 6-3 lead before claiming the final game of the set and all but one point on the tiebreaker.

"It was a little bumpy, but Burke and I pulled through," Beck said. "We both played well at the big points."

Still, with losses on the second and third court, the Badgers would drop the doubles point for the second time on the weekend, heading into the day's singles matches at a 0-1 disadvantage. Matters didn't improve much from there, as Erin Jobe, Beck, Morgan Tuttle and Nusslock quickly lost in straight sets on the fifth, second, sixth and third courts, respectively. Of the group, only Nusslock would muster three games in a set as she fell to Notre Dame's Tefft 6-1, 6-3.

But the day's two lengthiest contests would also prove the most heartening for the Wisconsin squad. Burke came off the bench to reclaim her top singles post and actually enjoyed a slight reversal of fortune, as the Fighting Irish's ace, No. 27 Catrina Thompson would take medical leave, forcing her twin, No. 32 Christian Thompson, to face Burke.

After jumping out to a 5-2 lead in the first set, Burke would concede a duo of games to Christian Thompson before claiming the affair 6-4. The second set would also produce a 5-2 lead for Burke, and led to the same result as Burke ultimately claimed a 6-4 victory to seal the Badgers' lone point on the day.

"I was playing a good player, so I knew I couldn't let down any point," Burke said. "I thought I played pretty well, came up with big shots on the right point."

Carpenter would also produce a promising weekend frame. Forced to move up to the third flight Friday because of the various Wisconsin illnesses, she would contest two tight sets against a powerful BYU opponent, ultimately falling 6-4, 7-5. Then on Sunday, she would again be asked to play up, but this time in the fourth flight, where she met Notre Dame's Kristina Stastny in a powerful back-and-forth match. After dropping the first set 6-2, Carpenter would rally to claim the second 6-4, forcing a match tiebreaker. There matters continued to simmer with a one-point differential between the two athletes until Carpenter, down 10-9 and facing match point, returned a shot into the net.

"I think Liz had a great weekend. … She's continuing to improve," head coach Patti Henderson said. "She's very comfortable. She listens well. She learns from her experience very well. … She's definitely improving. She had a good weekend despite the fact that she didn't get a win."