DECATUR, Ill. – The Illinois College women's tennis team took two losses to open the 2018 season on Saturday, but the Lady Blues had some positives to take away from the defeats against Central College and Millikin University.
Competing at Millikin in a four-team invitational, the Lady Blues opened the day against Central, who posted a winning record in the tough American Rivers Conference last season. Central went up, 3-0, after doubles, but Illinois College came close in the Nos. 1 and 2 matches.
Sophia Roth and
Kathryn Ryan fell by a score of 8-5 at No. 1 and
Kalisa Goertz and
Sally Hixson were even closer, getting their serve broken late to end up on the short end of a 9-7 decision.
The wins for Illinois College in the early match came from Ryan and Roth at Nos. 1 and 2 singles. Ryan gritted out a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 win over Karleigh Schilling. Roth had an easier time in her first collegiate singles match, downing Jenna Stewart by a score of 6-2, 7-5. Goertz very nearly added a third point at No. 4 singles before falling to Katie Larson, 6-3, 1-6, 8-10. Central would go on to claim the invitational title with a 6-3 win over the University of Dubuque in the championship match.
Facing Millikin in the third-place match, Illinois College again fell behind in doubles, but were able to take a point at No. 2. Goertz and Hixson took out Danielle Beard and Madeline Delano by a score of 8-5. Roth and Ryan came close to a 2-1 lead for IC, but lost at No. 1, 9-7. The Big Blue then swept through the six singles matches for the 8-1 victory. Hixson had the best showing at No. 3, falling to Beard, 2-6, 2-6.
Madelyn Deardorff started well at No. 5 but ran out of steam in a 3-6, 0-6 defeat.
Illinois College comes back to Jacksonville and the Bellatti Tennis Complex for its home opener, taking on Blackburn College on Sept. 6 at 5 p.m.
