By: After taking two out of three doubles matches, the Lady Blues swept singles matches at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 to come away with a 6-3 win.
MONMOUTH, Ill. – The Illinois College women's tennis team took home its first win of the 2016 season with a 6-3 decision over Monmouth College on Monday evening. The Lady Blues went ahead, 2-1, after doubles play and claimed four of the six singles matches to ice the victory.
While the No. 1 doubles team of
Kathryn Ryan and
Sally Kate Hixson have had the most success this season, on Monday it was the Nos. 2 and 3 teams picking up points for IC. At No. 2,
Jovanna Chavez and
Lisa Noggle defeated Morgan Holle and Natalie Curtis, 8-5. At No. 3,
Lena Reed and
Madelyn Deardorff had an easy time of it, downing Lexi Tibbs and Simone Johnson, 8-1. Ryan and Hixson lost their match at No. 1, 8-5, to Katherine Hinman and Rachel Leifheit.
In singles play, Chavez, Noggle and Deardorff all won their matches at 4, 5 and 6 to clinch the win. Noggle swept past Carolyn Scherpe, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 5 to set the tone, and she was followed by a 6-1, 6-2 victory by Deardorff over Curtis at No. 6. Chavez ended it at No. 4 by defeating Tibbs, 6-3, 6-2.
The matches at the top three singles slots went longer and Hinman was able to come away with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 win over Ryan at No. 1. Hixson and Reed also required a third set, but with the match already decided, they each played a 10-point tiebreaker. At No. 2, Hixson earned a tight 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 victory over Leifheit, while at No. 3 Reed was defeated by Holle, 4-6, 6-1, 10-1.
The Lady Blues return to the Bellatti Tennis Complex for the final home match of the Fall season this weekend. Illinois College will take on Lindenwood-Belleville on Oct. 1 beginning at 10:30 a.m.
