Lisle, Ill. -- The Wheaton women's tennis team had to shake off a three-week period away from competition and a spirited Millikin side, but the Thunder got the job done and extended their season by at least one more day. Wheaton edged the Big Blue, 5-4, at the Benet Academy Tennis Courts on Friday afternoon to earn their place in the CCIW Automatic Qualifier Tournament final match, where they will meet the top-seeded North Central Cardinals. The winner of tomorrow's showdown will claim the conference's automatic berth to the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championship. 

With their last match coming against UW-La Crosse all the way back on April 8th, the Thunder did not enter today's contest in the ideal conditions, but they still managed to hold off a talented Millikin squad that defeated them by the same margin in October of 2021. The Big Blue claimed an early 2-1 advantage on the scoresheet thanks to their victories in the #2 and #3 doubles pairings. Wheaton's point came courtesy of Abygale Ahn and Audrey Vick, who won their #1 doubles match, 8-6.

Vick then doubled up for Wheaton by claiming her #2 singles fixture in three sets. The freshman bageled her Millikin opponent in the opening frame, before falling 6-4 in the second. But a hard-fought 7-5 triumph in the decisive set gave Vick the win and Wheaton another point. Bethany Hoogerheide took her #3 singles match in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4, as the senior fought to extend her Thunder career through the weekend. Millikin earned the points in the #1 and #4 singles matchups to put Wheaton on the ropes, but wins in both the #5 and #6 positions helped the Thunder get over the line and advance to Saturday's winner-take-all match. Alexandra Wachs registered the win in the #5 slot, posting a two-set score of 7-5, 6-2, before Lydia Adams emerged victorious in the last matchup of the day to claim Wheaton's fifth point. The freshman took the first set, 6-4, before falling by the same score in the second. With neither player wanting to be the one to fall at the final hurdle, Adams and her Millikin counterpart battled all the way to a 6-6 tiebreak, where the Wheaton player prevailed 8-6 to send Wheaton to tomorrow's meeting with North Central.

The Thunder do not have much time to dwell on today's dramatic win, as they are set to play the Cardinals at 1:00 PM on Saturday afternoon. North Central won both of the two teams' previous meetings this season, so Wheaton will be trying to retain their 2019 AQ Tournament crown as an underdog when the squads meet tomorrow. The match has been moved indoors to the Naperville Tennis Club due to an inclement weather forecast in the area.